Hawks vs. Knicks 2026 NBA Playoffs Series Preview, Picks, Odds
The No. 6-seeded Hawks and No. 3-seeded Knicks do battle in this first-round series, which tips off at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening. Atlanta is coming off an eventful regular season that saw it make a six-win improvement over the year prior despite the trade of franchise guard Trae Young, while New York slots into the No. 3 seed for the second consecutive postseason.
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Betting Analysis
The Hawks were a Play-In Tournament participant last season with a 40-42 mark and were quickly dispatched by the Magic and Heat, ending a disappointing season overall. This season, Young suffered a quadriceps injury against the Knicks on Dec. 27, and that would turn out to be the 2018 fifth overall pick’s final appearance in a Hawks uniform. Atlanta was a mere 15-18 after taking a three-point loss in that contest, but the Hawks would surprisingly go 31-18 the rest of the way and traded Young to the Washington Wizards at the deadline. The primary return in that transaction, CJ McCollum, proved to be very good fit immediately upon arrival and served as a key complementary source of offense alongside linchpin Jalen Johnson.
The Knicks ran it back with the same core that got New York to the Eastern Conference Finals last summer, and they netted a two-win improvement over last regular season’s already formidable 51-31 mark. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns once again spearheaded the charge under new head coach Mike Brown, who proved up to the task of replacing a proven winner in Tom Thibodeau after the latter’s somewhat surprising dismissal. New York was dominant both at home and in the Eastern Conference, posting respective 30-10 and 35-17 records in those splits.
The Knicks prevailed in the three-game regular-season series with the Hawks by a 2-1 margin. Brown’s crew scored a victory apiece at MSG and Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, recording 128-125 and 111-99 wins. The Hawks’ one success versus New York unfolded at State Farm during the regular season’s final week, when they edged the Knicks by a 108-105 margin.
The one primary injury concern on the Hawks’ side is small forward Dyson Daniels, who missed the regular-season finale last Sunday due to a toe injury. Daniels notably carries a questionable tag in contrast to his other teammates that also took a seat for the last game of the campaign, who are all listed as probable and fully expected to play. On the Knicks’ side, OG Anunoby, who sat out the regular-season finale with an ankle issue, is also listed as questionable for Game 1; however, he was able to practice Wednesday.
The Hawks were 21-19 ATS as an underdog during the regular season, while the Knicks held a 34-31 mark against the spread as a favorite. Despite the seven-win gap between Atlanta and New York, both teams produced identical 22-19 marks on the road, giving the Hawks some hope of being able to potentially steal at least one game in the Big Apple.
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Prediction, Pick & Best Bet
The Knicks winning the series against the Hawks in six games (-115) is our best bet.
Best Bet: Knicks -1.5 (-115)
Series Prediction: NYK 4-2 (+425)
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Schedule
- Sat., Apr. 18 – Atlanta at New York, Game 1 – 6:00 p.m./APVO
- Mon., Apr. 20 – Atlanta at New York, Game 2 – 8:00 p.m./NBC
- Thu., Apr. 23 – New York at Atlanta, Game 3 – 7:00 p.m./APVO
- Sat., Apr. 25 – New York at Atlanta, Game 4 – 6:00 p.m./NBC
- Tues., Apr. 28 – Atlanta at New York, Game 5 if nec. – TBD
- Thu., Apr. 30 – New York at Atlanta, Game 6 if nec. – TBD
- Sat., May 2 – Atlanta at New York, Game 7 if nec. – TBD
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Odds
Series Winner
Series Spread
- Knicks +1.5 (-550)
- Knicks -1.5 (-115)
- Knicks +2.5 (-1800)
- Knicks -2.5 (+170)
- Hawks +1.5 (-105)
- Hawks -1.5 (+370)
- Hawks +2.5 (-220)
- Hawks -2.5 (+900)
Total Games
Series Score
- Knicks 4-0 (+600)
- Knicks 4-1 (+340)
- Knicks 4-2 (+425)
- Knicks 4-3 (+360)
- Hawks 4-0 (+2500)
- Hawks 4-1 (+1500)
- Hawks 4-2 (+650)
- Hawks 4-3 (+800)
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Betting Resources
- NBA Playoff Odds
- NBA Finals Odds
- NBA Game Odds
- NBA Daily Betting Trends
- NBA First Basket Picks
- NBA Starting Lineups
Hawks vs. Knicks Series Players to Watch
Atlanta Hawks
- Jalen Johnson: 22.5 ppg; 10.3 rpg; 7.9 apg
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 20.8 ppg
- CJ McCollum: 18.7 ppg
New York Knicks
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 20.1 ppg; 11.9 rpg
- Jalen Brunson: 26.0 ppg; 6.8 apg
- OG Anunoby: 16.7 ppg; 5.3 rpg
Photo Credit: AP/Frank Franklin II
