The Charlotte Hornets (10-19) welcome the New York Knicks (16-13) to Spectrum Center as they try to end their five-game home losing streak. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, December 18, 2017, and will air on MSG Network.
New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets Betting Prediction
The Knicks come in on a high note after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last contest, 111-96. New York was effective at getting and making free throws. The Knicks made 21 of their 26 free throws (80.8 percent), while the Thunder were just 12-20 (60.0 percent). New York was lifted by Michael Beasley, who was the top scorer from either team with 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
The last time the Hornets played, they lost a tough one against the Portland Trail Blazers, 93-91. Portland’s 0.525 effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Charlotte, who had a mark of 0.380. The Trail Blazers’ mark was above their season average of 0.497, while the Hornets’ was below their season average of 0.489. With 23 points on 9-for-17 shooting, Nicolas Batum was Charlotte’s leading scorer.
It will be a showdown of conflicting paces as the fast-breaking Hornets will look to push the more methodical Knicks. The Hornets currently rank eighth in possessions per game while the Knicks are 20th. Also, the Knicks are among the NBA’s best on the offensive backboards, ranking fourth in offensive rebounding percentage (26.2 percent). The Hornets, meanwhile, rank first in defensive rebounding percentage (81.8 percent).
New York holds records of 16-13 straight up (SU) and 17-12 against the spread (ATS). Of the Knicks’ 29 games, 14 have finished over the total.
Meanwhile, Charlotte owns records of 10-19 SU and 11-16-2 ATS. Of the Hornets’ 29 games, 16 have finished under the O/U total.
Dwight Howard has averaged 22.0 points, 14.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks over the last five games for Charlotte.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 28 points and the Knicks, who were 2-point underdogs, beat the Hornets 118-113. He also recorded five rebounds. The game finished with a total of 231 points, which was 22 points above the projected point total of 209 points. New York’s free throw rate was their biggest advantage over Charlotte. The Knicks had a rate of 0.213, while the Hornets posted a mark of 0.154.
New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Hornets, ATS Winner – Hornets, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
New York is 3-7 ATS on the road with 5 unders, 4 overs and 1 push.
At home, Charlotte is 8-8 ATS with 10 unders and 6 overs.
When allowing less than 100 points, New York is 7-0 and Charlotte is 5-2.
The Knicks are 15-6 when they reach the century mark, while the Hornets are 10-7.
Charlotte ranks first in points off turnovers allowed per game (14.1) while New York ranks 29th (19.9).
The Knicks rank first in rebounds allowed per game (40.0) while the Hornets rank 23rd (44.1).
New York ranks ninth in assists per game (23.0) while Charlotte ranks 28th (20.1).
The Hornets rank third in steals allowed per game (6.8) while the Knicks rank 21st (8.3).
Charlotte ranks first in second chance points allowed per game (9.8) while New York ranks 13th (12.5).
The Knicks rank second in points allowed in the paint per game (39.8) while the Hornets rank 13th (42.9).
Charlotte averages 25.4 three pointers per game, which ranks 24th in the NBA. New York ranks last in three pointers allowed per game (32.8).
The Hornets rank 23rd in fast break points per game (9.2) while the Knicks rank 29th (6.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, New York is 3-2 ATS with 5 overs.
Charlotte is 1-3-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Knicks’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.6, up from 1.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hornets have scored an average of 100.0 points per game (4.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 103.6 points per game (2.6 below their season average).
