Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks on Thursday, April 1 looks like a mismatch on paper. Our ratings give the Knicks about a 79% chance, and the Hornets would need an unusual night to change that.
Why the gap is wide
The Win Meter reads the Knicks 79%, with a projected score of Charlotte Hornets 110, New York Knicks 119. The rating gap is 130 points in favor of the Knicks, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Knicks on top of that.
A reading this high has real meaning, but upsets of this size happen. Nearly one game in 5 like it goes the other way.
Recent form
The Hornets are 3-1 this season and 3-2 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -11.8. The Knicks are 0-3 this season and 2-3 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -2.8.
The Hornets were beaten 128-81 at home by ATL not long ago.
Offense against defense
The Hornets score 104 a game and allow 111. The Knicks score 101.7 and allow 108. Pairing each offense with the other defense points to about 106 for the Hornets and 106.4 for the Knicks, a simple check on the Win Meter's projection.
The Hornets have defended better than the Knicks have scored, so the Knicks may need to find offense elsewhere.
Injuries to watch
Out: Coby White (CHA), expected back Oct 31, 2026, Kon Knueppel (CHA), expected back Oct 31, 2026, Grant Williams (CHA), expected back Oct 31, 2026, Kylan Boswell (CHA), expected back Nov 2, 2026, and Jose Alvarado (NYK), expected back Oct 28, 2026.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Knicks lead 4-3, with the Knicks outscoring the Hornets by an average of 3.7 points per game. The last meeting was CHA 110, NYK 96.