Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Game 1 Preview, Picks & Odds for Saturday, April 18, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | Apr 17, 2026, 8:30pm

The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks kick off their first round series at 6:10 p.m. Eastern on Amazon Prime. New York has won two of three matchups this season, but both victories were incredibly close games.

Hawks vs. Knicks Betting Analysis

Atlanta cut ties with Trae Young on Jan. 9 by trading him to Washington in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Since the move, the Hawks have gone 28-15 with the 8th-best net rating, and McCollum scored 18.7 points per game during this stretch.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s leap is another key reason behind Atlanta’s surge. He averaged 20.8 points per game on 61% true shooting this season and concluded the year as the frontrunner to win Most Improved Player. The Hawks have him signed to a bargain contract for the next three seasons, although the third season is a player option that he likely declines.

Atlanta will likely not own the best player in any series on the way to the NBA Finals, but it’s a cohesive, two-way team that will put up a fight.

New York lost in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and the team is running it back with the same core. Jalen Brunson and the wings are a known commodity, so the Knicks’ NBA Finals hopes essentially boils down to how effective and consistent Karl-Anthony Towns will be.

Towns got off to a poor start to the season, but the veteran has averaged 20.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 67.6% true shooting since the All-Star break. That’s Nikola Jokić-esque efficiency. Towns is the key to New York reaching its first Finals since 1999.

The best bet is taking Onyeka Okongwu to sink at least two triples and at least three triples.

New York’s defense has surrendered the 3rd-highest three-point attempt rate (45.5%) since the break, along with the 10th-most made threes per game to opposing centers this season.

Enter Okongwu. The veteran has shot 37.6% from deep on 5.2 attempts per game, which are both career-highs. In three matchups versus the Knicks this season, he has gone 2-for-6, 4-for-6, and 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Hawks vs. Knicks Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Onyeka Okongwu Over 1.5 Made Threes (-145)
Best Bet: Onyeka Okongwu Over 2.5 Made Threes (+205)
Score Prediction: Knicks 112, Hawks 109

Hawks vs. Knicks Game Odds

Hawks vs. Knicks Game Information

Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026
Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
Network: APVO
Location: New York, New York
Venue: Madison Square Garden – 228 ppg; 19-20-1 O/U
Series Score: 0-0
Series Preview

Hawks vs. Knicks Betting Resources

Hawks vs. Knicks Key Players

Hawks

Jalen Johnson – Last Game: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Last Game: 18 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
CJ McCollum – Last Game: 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Knicks

Jalen Brunson – Last Game: 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Karl-Anthony Towns – Last Game: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists
OG Anunoby – Last Game: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.