NBA Underdog of the Day (Knicks Aiming to Pull Off Another Upset vs. Hornets)
By Peter Dewey
The New York Knicks came through for us as the underdog of the day in their last game against the Chicago Bulls, and I’m going back to the well with them at home on Wednesday.
New York is facing the Charlotte Hornets, a team that it has fared well against this season and beat by 15 points on the road in their last meeting.
Charlotte has a high-powered offense, but it has scored just 203 points in two games against the Knicks this season. Before we go further, let’s get into the odds for this game from WynnBET:
Hornets vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total
Spread:
- Hornets -2.5 (-110)
- Knicks +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline:
- Hornets: -155
- Knicks: +127
Total:
- 223 (Over -110/Under -110)
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NBA Upset Pick: Why Knicks Can Upset Hornets on Wednesday
The Knicks may be without Evan Fournier in this matchup, as he is listed as questionable, but I think that may not be the worst thing for New York.
Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks have been on fire as of late, and the Knicks’ backcourt may benefit from more time of those two on the floor together. Burks has made three or more 3-pointers in six straight games, while Quickley is averaging 15.3 points per game over his last 16 contests.
The Hornets have the offense to make things hard on the Knicks, but both games these teams have played this year have been played at New York’s pace (29th in the NBA), which makes me concerned with Charlotte’s defense (23rd in defensive rating).
The Knicks have won four straight and are peaking at the right time, and they need every win they can get to have any shot at the play-in tournament in the East.
I think New York is undervalued at home in this matchup, so I’m going to back it to pull off another upset win.
Lean: Knicks Moneyline (+127)
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record in the NBA this season here.