The Hornets are back on U.S. soil and are instantly 2 point favorites when hosting the Knicks in the January 28th NBA free betting pick. Any time Charlotte is favored you have to be leery, especially since they’ve dropped 8 in a row. The Knicks have played well lately – for the Knicks – does that make them the play on Tuesday?
Knicks Ready to Turn a Corner?
New York would be lucky to be favored 5 more times the rest of the season, but the January 28th NBA free betting pick is as good a chance as any to get a win. Charlotte has dropped 8 straight, and should be a bit jet lagged after playing the Bucks in Paris on Friday.
To be honest, the Knicks haven’t played bad lately – dare we say they’ve played good. The last 10 days include a 3 point loss to the Sixers, beating Cleveland by 20 on the road, falling by 8 to the Lakers and 6 to the Raptors in close (expected) defeats, and a win over the Nets last time out.
One of the big reasons to like New York and the points on Tuesday is because the Knicks’ strength is Charlotte’s downfall. The Hornets rank 30th defensively vs. the center and 28th vs. the PF. Julius Randle is averaging 21/13 the last two while New York can also throw out Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, and Mitchell Robinson down low. It’s an especially favorable mismatch vs. a Charlotte team that may be a bit tired from a trip to France.
Hornets Have Any Bounce Back Tuesday?
It’s been a wild ride for the Hornets the past weekend. They had a trip to Paris to take on Milwaukee on Friday (L 103-116) only to come home to find out that Kobe Bryant had passed. Charlotte was the original team that selected Bryant and changed the course of history with a trade to the Lakers. Not to mention the Hornets are owned by Michael Jordan, a major idol of Bryant.
It’s not like Charlotte had momentum before the weekend though. The Hornets had lost 7 in a row prior to their flight overseas and now own the league’s absolute worst scoring offense (103.3 ppg). Charlotte has actually been held to under 100 points in 4 of the last 6. There’s a reason Tuesday’s total is set at just 209.
January 28th NBA Betting Free Pick
There must be a reason why Charlotte is a -1 favorite in this one. The Hornets have dropped 8 in a row and return from a trip to Paris which is never ideal. The Knicks, while not always winning, have played tough for the better part of two weeks. With Charlotte’s weak post defense, big games from Randle and Co. seem like just a formality at this point. It seems like the Knicks actually have a chance of breaking this one open – as crazy as that sounds.
Pick: New York Knicks +2
