Hornets vs. Knicks Wednesday NBA injury report, spread, odds: Charlotte clinches play-in tournament spot with victory

The Charlotte Hornets haven't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season and technically the NBA doesn't count the play-in tournament in each conference as the postseason (why not?), but the Hornets would clinch a spot in that with a victory tonight at the New York Knicks, who are near play-in elimination. Charlotte is -2 at Caesars Sportsbook.

Charlotte (39-37) sits ninth in the East, one game behind Brooklyn for eighth and a half-game ahead of Atlanta for 10th. A win here gets the Hornets at worst the No. 10 spot in the East. We doubt they pass the Nets for No. 8 now that Brooklyn has Kyrie Irving playing full-time.

The Knicks would be eliminated from a shot at the No. 9 spot with a loss and their magic number to be eliminated from the play-in tournament overall is three. Then the team can really turn to Coach Tom Thibodeau's future, although he probably have saved his job (if it was in jeopardy) with a four-game winning streak – too little, too late. One of those victories was a 121-106 upset in Charlotte on March 23 behind 30 points from RJ Barrett. He has been great in March, averaging 24.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. For tonight, he's set at Over/Under 24.5 points and 6.5 rebounds – so, yeah, the books look at averages.

Injury-wise, the Knicks remain without guards Quentin Grimes and Derrick Rose (he has been a huge disappointment and won't return this season) and big man Nerlens Noel. Evan Fournier is questionable. The Knicks need to go 5-1 in their last six games to have any chance for the play-in. Since the break, they have a Top-5 defense in allowing 110.5 points per 100 possessions.

Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball is also having a big month, averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds. He has really started to find the range from three-point land, making 46 in March (eighth among all players) with eight games of at least four.

Charlotte is 9-4 in March in large part due to Ball and Miles Bridges, who is averaging 21.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 51.5 percent from the field in the month. He is one of 12 players to average at least 20.0 points and shoot at least 50 percent from the floor in March. The Hornets' lone player out tonight as of this writing is Gordon Hayward.

This concludes the season series with Charlotte leading 2-1. It won at Madison Square Garden 97-87 on Jan. 17 but is only 18-39 there all-time. Click here for model picks of tonight's game. 

Looking for the best picks against the spread, sharp plays on the total, and props you can take straight to the pay window? Join Jonathan Coachman on the Early Edge as he speaks with SportsLine's top handicappers to preview the day's biggest games. We promise to keep it short, sweet and to put some green in your pocket. Early Edge is in your feed every single day by 11 a.m. ET. Subscribe right here on YouTube to watch daily, plus don't miss the Early Edge specials and live shows!