The first round of the NBA Playoffs is heating up this Thursday, April 23, as the New York Knicks (1-1) and Atlanta Hawks (1-1) battle for control in a pivotal Game 3. After splitting a pair of games in New York, the series shifts to State Farm Arena in Atlanta for a 7:00 p.m. ET tipoff tonight, with the national broadcast airing live on Amazon Prime Video.
Oddsmakers have installed the Knicks as short 1.5-point road favorites over Atlanta in Game 3, while the total is set at 214.5 points. New York is priced at -116 on the moneyline; meanwhile, the Hawks are tagged as +100 home underdogs to pull off the upset.
Below, I’ll break down my top Knicks vs. Hawks predictions and NBA betting picks for tonight’s playoff game.
Knicks vs Hawks Prediction, Pick
- Knicks vs Hawks pick: Knicks -1.5 (-104)
My Knicks vs. Hawks Game 3 betting prediction is on New York to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Knicks vs Hawks Odds: Game 3
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -104 | 214.5 -112o / -108u | -116 |
| Hawks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -118 | 214.5 -112o / -108u | +100 |
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New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 3 Preview
Hawks Betting Preview, Analysis
The Hawks hung around in Game 1, and then stole Game 2. Now, they have a chance to take the series lead at home.
Sixth-seeds in a 1-1 series are 13-11 SU, 11-13 ATS in the first round since 2003. The market, though, is the important thing:
- 6-seed underdogs in 1-1 series in Game 3: 2-9 ATS
- 6-seed favorites in 1-1 series in Game 3: 8-3
The Hawks are… both favorites and dogs, depending on where you look in the market. So, that’s not much help.
Atlanta has found combinations that work, specifically forward-heavy combinations that feature Jonathan Kuminga.
Knicks Betting Preview, Analysis
Some of the Knicks' struggles seem to be self-inflicted by playing lineups without either Karl-Anthony Towns or Jalen Brunson, and deploying rotations with limited scoring and playmaking — then, turning the ball over on top of it.
Here's a stunningly weird stat: the Knicks have played a big lineup with both Towns and Mitchell Robinson together for just six minutes total in this series. They were six horrendous minutes, but still, against a small team like the Hawks, not trying it anymore at all is perplexing.
Knicks vs Hawks Picks, Best Bets
Spread: Knicks -1.5
Counting on coaches to reach better conclusions is a dangerous game, but even if Mike Brown stumbles upon more balanced lineups with less foul trouble for Towns and Brunson, or is forced to go big because of more foul trouble for Josh Hart, there are mechanisms he can find that should provide adjustments.
I’ll back the Knicks to get back on track after a game where everything went wrong in a matchup that should favor them considerably.
Total: Over 214.5 (Lean)
It’s interesting that the total is a point lower than Game 2. The Hawks found offensive answers as much as defensive ones in Game 2, and much of the Knicks’ offensive wounds were self-inflicted.
I make the total for this game 221.7, and find the chances of the Hawks having an offensive breakout at home and the Knicks getting back to their offensive identity high.
Player Prop: Dyson Daniels Under 21.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists
The Hawks have gotten destroyed in Dyson Daniels’ minutes, and the lineup of the starters with Daniels replaced by Kuminga has dominated in their minutes across the two games.
Daniels is important, but not important enough to prevent his role from being minimized.
Sure, he could have a hot shooting game and keep his spot. But, it’s more likely he finds his role reduced and his production level falls along with it.
Knicks vs Hawks Game 3 Betting Predictions
- Knicks -1.5 (-104)
- Dyson Daniels Under 21.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-110)
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Knicks vs Hawks Betting Trends
