If you’d believe it - we’ve made it to the end of the NBA regular season. The playoffs are right around the corner, and for those betting on the NBA, the preference here is finding teams with something to play for.

We check that box with this Hornets-Knicks game on Saturday night. New York has secured their position as one of the top six teams in the East, while Charlotte is playing for seeding in the play-in tournament.

Let’s see how these teams match up and make a betting pick.

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Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets have had a solid season even with injuries to key players LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward. Ball has since returned to the lineup at the beginning of May, picking up right where he left off.

Their success stems from the three-point shot, a top ten team shooting the ball from deep.

The Hornets are likely to be in the first play-in game as the eighth seed. There’s a chance they can get the seventh seed and the rights to host that pivotal game.

Their defense is less than ideal - a bottom-ten unit across the board. Their biggest weakness is by far stopping the three, allowing the third most threes per game.

Terry Rozier leads the team in scoring, averaging over 20 points per game, shooting 40% from deep.

Ball does a bit of everything, averaging 16.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

There was another win for good guys in our last article, with a final score of Dodgers 5 - Padres 4. Go see our Padres at Dodgers betting preview.

New York Knicks

New York is having their best season since 2013, ending an eight year playoff drought. The season’s success can be attributed to the jump in play from Julius Randle and the smothering team defense.

The Knicks own the best defense in the NBA, allowing the fewest points per game and holding opponents to the second-best shooting percentage.

It’s been a team effort, led by Nerlens Noel’s 2.2 blocks per game. The Knicks defense is good at everything, one of the ten stingiest at stopping points in the paint and guarding the perimeter.

The same can’t be said for their offense, which plays slow and methodical. The offense has no true preference, bottom-ten in both major scoring categories.

Randle’s performance this season has been inspiring nonetheless, averaging 23.9 points per game to go along with 10.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

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Game Pick

This will be the third and final game between these two teams - a rubber match for the season series.

Charlotte won the first game, 109-88, while New York won the second 109-97. The Knicks are playing strong basketball at the right time while the Hornets have been splitting their games.

The Knicks know how to slow down the three-point shot, which is the only way Charlotte consistently scores.

Without an imposing defense on the other end, New York should be able to do enough on both ends to win this.

The pick here is New York to finish their season strong with a win and a cover against the spread.