Hornets vs. Knicks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, April 12

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks have locked up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into their final game of the 2025-26 regular season against the Charlotte Hornets.

This game means a whole lot more to LaMelo Ball and company, as the No. 9 spot in the East is on the line. With a win, Charlotte would lock up the No. 9 spot and have home court in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in matchup with the Miami Heat. However, a loss by Charlotte and a win by Miami would knock the Hornets back to the No. 10 seed, meaning they’d need to win two road games just to make the playoffs in the East.

Charlotte knocked off the Knicks in the last meeting between these teams in late March, but it has dropped two games in a row to fall out of contention for a top-eight spot in the East.

Can it hold off a New York team that has thrived at home (30-9) in the 2025-26 season?

Here’s a look at the odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for Sunday’s Eastern Conference battle.

Hornets vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Hornets -11.5 (-110)
Knicks +11.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Hornets: -600
Knicks: +440

Total

215.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Hornets vs. Knicks How to Watch

Date: Sunday, April 12
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Madison Square Garden
How to Watch (TV): MSG, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Hornets record: 43-38
Knicks record: 53-28

Hornets vs. Knicks Injury Reports

Hornets Injury Report

Tosan Evbuomwan – out
Antonio Reeves – out
PJ Hall – out
Coby White – probable

Knicks Injury Report

OG Anunoby – out
Jalen Brunson – out
Josh Hart – out
Mitchell Robinson – out
Tyler Kolek – out
Karl-Anthony Towns – out

Hornets vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

Hornets Best NBA Prop Bet

LaMelo Ball OVER 4.5 3-Pointers Made (+115)

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is taking 10.2 3-pointers per game in the 2025-26 season, knocking down 36.9 percent of those shots.

Ball may not shoot over 40 percent, but he takes a lot of difficult 3s (and makes a bunch), which makes him an exciting player in this market. This season, Ball has made two, five and four shots from deep in his games against the Knicks, taking nine attempts in the late March meeting between the squads.

The former top-three pick has made at least three shots from deep in 18 of his last 20 games, averaging 4.5 3-pointers made on 12.0 attempts per game during that stretch. He could have a big game against a New York team that is 21st in opponent 3-pointers made and 20th in opponent 3-point percentage this season.

Hornets vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

It’s pretty clear the Knicks aren’t going after this game with Robinson, Towns, Brunson, Anunoby, Hart and others out of the lineup.

That’s great news for the Hornets, since they need a win to hold on to the No. 9 spot in the East.

Charlotte already beat this Knicks team badly in late March, and it should make quick work of the short-handed version.

Since the All-Star break, the Hornets are 17-9 straight up and have the fourth-best net rating (+10.9) in the NBA. So, they’re more than capable of winning by a wide margin, and they should be able to against the Knicks’ “B” team on Sunday.

New York likely won’t play Mikal Bridges more than a minute or two – so he can keep his consecutive game streaks going, and the only rotation mainstays that appear to be ready to go are Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson.

Pick: Hornets -11.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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