Hawks vs. Knicks Series Prediction, Odds, Best Bets for NBA Playoffs (Will Knicks Avoid Upset?)

Expectations are sky-high for the New York Knicks after last season’s Eastern Conference Finals appearance, but they have a tough first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks.

These teams played a thrilling game earlier this month in the regular season, which gave New York a 2-1 lead in the season series. Now, the Hawks are the shortest underdogs in the first round of the playoffs.

A big reason why is the second half of the season that Jalen Johnson and company put together. Atlanta had the fourth-best net rating in the NBA after the All-Star break, going 20-6 in 26 games to move into the No. 6 spot in the East.

As for the Knicks, they won the NBA Cup and finished in the same spot in the standings (third) as they did in last year’s Eastern Conference. Jalen Brunson and company have made at least the second round of the playoffs in each season since he’s joined the team, and the Knicks are sixth in the odds to win the NBA Finals after posting the fifth-best net rating in the NBA during the regular season.

Can New York prove that it is still a title contender and make quick work of the Hawks? The Knicks’ road struggles could be an issue in this series, especially since Atlanta has several rangy defenders it can throw at Brunson on a nightly basis.

If you’re looking to bet on this series, you’ve come to the right place. The SI Betting and NBA experts have joined forces to give picks for every first-round playoff matchup, and the picks for this Eastern Conference showdown signal that we could see a long series.

Here’s a look at the series odds, series spread, total games and much more before we make our picks for the Hawks vs. Knicks clash.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Hawks vs. Knicks Series Odds

Hawks: +220
Knicks: -275

Based on the odds to win this series, the Knicks have an implied probability of 73.33 percent to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Hawks vs. Knicks Series Spread

Hawks +1.5 (-105)
Knicks -1.5 (-115)

Hawks vs. Knicks Series Correct Score

Knicks in 5: +340
Knicks in 7: +360
Knicks in 6: +425
Knicks in 4: +600
Hawks in 6: +650
Hawks in 7: +800
Hawks in 5: +1500
Hawks in 4: +2500

Hawks vs. Knicks Series Total Games

5.5 (Over -160/Under +130)

Bettors should expect a longer series, as the Knicks have struggled on the road and oddsmakers have the OVER heavily favored in this matchup. Two of the three most-likely outcomes in this series are the Knicks winning in six or seven games.

Hawks vs. Knicks Series Predictions

Peter Dewey

New York took two of the three games between these teams during the regular season, but Atlanta closed out the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the NBA – partially due to a fairly easy schedule after the All-Star break. The Hawks went from the No. 10 spot to the No. 6 spot in the standings, though they finished the regular season just 23-30 against teams that were .500 or better.

Atlanta has a lot of defenders it can throw at Jalen Brunson (mainly Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker), making this a tougher matchup for the New York offense than it likely hoped for in the first round. Still, I’m taking the Knicks to win this series – even if it does go into a sixth or seventh game.

The Knicks struggled on the road all season long, but they dominated in close games, going 9-4 in games decided by three or fewer points while also ranking third in the NBA in clutch-time offensive rating. The Hawks were just 17th in offensive rating in clutch games (games within five points in the final five minutes).

At the end of the day, I’ll take Brunson as a closer in a playoff series over CJ McCollum and Jalen Johnson, especially since the Knicks’ defense made strides (finishing seventh in the league in defensive rating) after a rough stretch following its NBA Cup win.

Pick: Knicks in 7 (-275, +360)

Chris Mannix

You know the Knicks were cringing when Orlando kicked away that season ending game against Boston, which took the hapless (against the Knicks, anyway) Raptors out of their path and bumped the Hawks in. I’m leery of this Knicks team–the inconsistencies, the defense, that Karl-Anthony Towns and Mike Brown still don’t seem on the same page–and Atlanta did surge to the end the season. Still, give me Jalen Brunson in close games in this series.

Pick: Knicks in 6 (-275, +425)

Liam McKeone

This has the potential to be the best first-round series of the bunch.

The Knicks are being side-eyed by the greater NBA viewing population because the lows they experienced this season were low. They lost eight of 10 in January and went on a four-game losing streak in March concerning enough that the usually-relaxed Mike Brown opened up about his frustration publicly. Every team will go through rough stretches but the orange-and-blue are supposed to be talented and experienced enough to prevent the wheels from completely falling off. It still happened anyway and that makes New York a shaky bet to play serious basketball for long stretches. It certainly makes one wonder if this team might play down to its competition in the first round—and the Hawks are definitely dangerous enough to take advantage if so.

Nevertheless, it feels like anyone picking an upset might be getting a bit over their skis about the state of this Atlanta team. The Hawks are talented, for sure, and their cadre of thorny defenders will be a serious test for Brunson, Towns and the other important Knicks who make it all happen offensively. But Quin Snyder is a bit too reliant on CJ McCollum to create when others are having a tough time of it. He gives too many points back defensively to be a genuine playoff option but Atlanta has no one else to turn to if the Knicks can shut the water off by stifling Johnson and, to a lesser extent, NAW. A lesser but still impactful concern: Atlanta might get mashed by KAT and Mitchell Robinson if Jock Landale can’t return from injury.

All that is to say: this could end up being a really fun series to watch if the Knicks let the Hawks hang around longer than they should. But Atlanta’s flaws will keep an upset just out of reach.

Pick: Knicks in 6 (-275, +425)

Tyler Lauletta

Huge shout out to this Hawks squad for being way ahead of schedule, but it feels like the Knicks are taking this one. The squad that reached the conference finals last year has plenty of postseason experience and plenty less miles on their legs this year under non-Tom Thibodeau coaching.

It’s pretty easy to imagine the debate shows next week leading the A-block with “Are the Knicks actually the favorites in the East?” and shortly after, “Is Jalen Brunson elite?” This Hawks team has a foundation and identity—which is quite impressive given that they traded away the face of the franchise for nearly a decade midway through the season.

Trae Young was one of Madison Square Garden’s greatest villains of recent years. He’s no longer a Hawk, but the Knicks still might have some payback they want to deliver to Atlanta.

Pick: Knicks in 5 (-275, +340)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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