Hawks vs. Knicks Predictions, Odds, Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

June 2, 2021

by Michael Crosson
NBA Expert
VegasInsider.com

Eastern Conference postseason action will resume on Wednesday night with Hawks-Knicks Game 5 set to kick off TNT’s nationally televised doubleheader.

So, VI is getting you ready with a variety of betting resources to help handicap all the evening’s top contests.

Hawks vs. Knicks Betting Resources

Matchup: Eastern Conference Playoffs
Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Location: New York, New York
Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Bet: BetMGM | betrivers |FanDuel |bet365 |DraftKings |Best Sportsbooks

Betting Odds - Hawks vs. Knicks

Despite losing Games 3 and 4 by an average of 14 points, the Knicks head back to the Big Apple as a 1.5-point favorite over the visiting Hawks – marking the third time Atlanta has been listed as an underdog in this series.

The total for this event is currently stationed at OU 208, which is a number that appears to keep trending in the downward direction as this series progresses – thanks to the losing team in the first four matchups averaging just 96.7 points per game.

Subject to Change

Spread: Knicks -1.5
Money-Line: New York -125, Atlanta +105
Total: 208

Hawks vs. Knicks Current Form

The Knicks and Hawks were virtually locked into a playoff matchup against each other with a few weeks left in the regular season – considering New York trailed the Bucks by a healthy five-game margin for third place, and Miami never made a significant push to leapfrog the Hawks for the fifth.

The battle for homecourt-advantage ahead of this four-five matchup ended up going down to the wire though, as both teams finished with a record of 41-31 on the year – with an extra contest at home being awarded to New York in this series due to Julius Randle and company sweeping a three-game set against Atlanta during the regular season.

In Game 1 of this series, the Hawks managed to quickly steal homecourt advantage away from New York behind a game-winning floater from Trae Young with time winding down in the fourth – sealing a two-point victory for the Hawks in Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks responded with a statement-win in Game 2 at MSG though, as Derrick Rose willed his team to a two-game split to open this series by scoring roughly a quarter of New York’s points on the way to a nine-point victory during these teams’ second postseason meeting.

After splitting Games 1 and 2 of this series in New York, these teams traveled to Atlanta for the following two events – which resulted in a pair of demoralizing losses for the Knicks.

New York never really stood a chance in the Hawks’ home-postseason opener, as Atlanta held the Knicks to 96 points while posting dazzling numbers from beyond the arc – burying 16-of-27 (59%) three-point attempts on the road to an 11-point victory in Game 3.

On the other hand, Game 4 in Atlanta ended up revolving around New York’s struggles at the offensive end of the floor – as the Hawks posted relatively pedestrian shooting clips over the course of their 17-point victory (113 points, 44% FG), but New York’s 96-point effort on 44% from the field and 37% from downtown wasn’t nearly enough to compete in the event.

Hawks vs. Knicks Head-to-Head

May 30, 2021 - Hawks 113 vs. Knicks 96, Atlanta -5, Push 209
May 28, 2021 - Hawks 105 vs. Knicks 94, Atlanta -4.5, Under 211.5
May 26, 2021 - Knicks 101 vs. Hawks 92, New York -2, Under 213.5
May 23, 2021 - Hawks 107 at Knicks 105, Atlanta +1, Under 214
Apr. 21, 2021 - Knicks 137 vs. Hawks 127 (OT), New York +1.5, Over 219
Feb. 15, 2021 - Knicks 123 vs. Hawks 112, New York +1.5, Over 219
Jan. 4, 2021 - Knicks 113 at Hawks 108, New York +7.5, Under 223.5

The Knicks swept a three-game series against Atlanta during the regular season – with all three of those contests comfortably going 'over' the total set for Wednesday’s event at an average of 233 points per game (excluding overtime).

In the first pair of matchups between the Hawks and Knicks this year, New York managed to take care of business in regulation – posting wins by an average margin of eight points in those two contests.

The Hawks gave New York a run for its money in the third matchup though – as Atlanta entered the fourth quarter of the affair boasting a seven-point lead, before getting throttled by 17 across the fourth and overtime stanzas of the contest (137-127, OT).

(SU-Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread, OU - Over-Under)

Atlanta Hawks Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 44-32 SU, 42-33-1 ATS, 35-40-1 OU
Road: 17-21 SU, 17-20-1 ATS, 19-19-1 OU

Atlanta’s regular-season campaign was consistently plagued by injury concerns to key rotational pieces, which resulted in quite the rollercoaster ride throughout the year.

The Hawks finally started to get healthy down the homestretch though, and it showed during their final run of regular-season affairs – as Nate McMillan’s guys went into their first-round series opener following wins in seven-of-eight games, with Atlanta’s only loss across that span coming on the second half of a back-to-back against Indiana.

Regarding the total, the Hawks finished up the regular season slightly leaning towards the low-scoring side of the spectrum, which can partly be attributed to the Hawks finishing their campaign riding a streak of four straight ‘under’ results – taking that clip from 35-33 on the year, down to 35-37 before the playoffs.

That trend appears to be building momentum as this series progresses though, considering these teams have posted an average of roughly 203 points per game across their first four postseason affairs, which bred 'under' results in three of those events.

New York Knicks Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

Overall: 42-34 SU, 46-29-1 ATS, 32-43-1 OU
Home: 26-12 SU, 23-14-1 ATS, 17-21 OU

After a back-and-forth race for homecourt advantage down the homestretch of the regular season, the Knicks and Hawks finished deadlocked at 41-31 for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings – giving New York an upper-hand in the playoff bracket due to the three victories claimed over Atlanta this year.

Betting the 'under' in Hawks’ games played at one of the most profitable clips in the league during the regular season – considering the total stayed 'under' in roughly 56% of matchups containing Atlanta this year.

That low-scoring trend has remained prevalent during New York’s first-round matchup against Atlanta too – highlighted by the total staying 'under' in three-of-four contests to open this series.

Key Injuries

Atlanta Hawks

PF De'Andre Hunter: Knee - Probable
SF Cameron Reddish: Achilles - Out

New York Knicks

C Mitchell Robinson: Foot - Out

Hawks vs. Knicks Player Prop Best Bet

Trae Young – Over 25.5 Points (-110)

Young kept his scoring streak alive in his fourth postseason outing against New York this past Sunday, as the Oklahoma product racked up 27 points on 9-of-21 from the field during Atlanta’s second straight double-digit victory over the Knicks.

I’ll back Trae to keep it going here, as Atlanta will probably lean on its primary scorer a little more than usual over the course of Wednesday’s pivotal Game 5 matchup at MSG.