The New York Knicks pay a visit to the State Farm Arena to take on the Atlanta Hawks in an exciting rematch from the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Knicks-Hawks prediction and pick we have laid out below.

The Knicks are coming off a dominant 108-85 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. They have won four of their last five games and have climbed into the play-in picture at 10th in the East with a 21-21 record.

Meanwhile, the Hawks continue to have an underwhelming 2021-22 campaign after making the Eastern Conference Finals just a year ago. They lost back-to-back outings to the Miami Heat. The first was a 115-91 blowout at home, despite Miami missing Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo in that one. They did bounce back with a better showing on Friday. But with their disappointing season so far amid their high expectations, moral victories don't count as much anymore.

Here is how FanDuel has set the Knicks-Hawks odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.

NBA odds: Knicks-Hawks Odds

New York Knicks: +2 (-106)

Atlanta Hawks: -2 (-114)

Over: 214.5 (-110)

Under: 214.5 (-110)

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Why the Knicks could cover the spread

Despite what happened in the playoffs, the Knicks have actually had the upper hand over the Hawks this season. New York won their Christmas Day duel, though Trae Young did not make his triumphant return to MSG that day. The Knicks also beat them by nine points in their first encounter. In fact, New York has won its last six regular-season games over Atlanta dating back to the 2019-20 season.

Both teams are having disappointing campaigns, but New York enters this game with a little more momentum and confidence. As noted, they beat Dallas on Wednesday and ended Luka Doncic and company's 6-game winning streak in the process.

Health-wise, New York is still without veteran point guard Derrick Rose, who underwent right ankle surgery. Likewise, Cam Reddish, whom they recently acquired from the Hawks, won't make his Knicks debut against his former squad due to an ankle injury. Kemba Walker will also miss his eighth consecutive game due to nagging knee issues.

New York is an even 10-10 on the road and 20-22 against the spread this season.

Why the Hawks could cover the spread

The Hawks are arguably the most disappointing team in the NBA this season. They just haven't been able to live up to the standards they set when they came just two wins shy of making the NBA Finals last season. Trae Young, John Collins, and Clint Capela have been healthy for the majority of the season. Thus, there is no excuse for them being 17-24 and 12th in the East.

Nonetheless, for a team as talented as this Hawks squad, there must be some point this season where they turn things around. That could very well be against the team they dispatched in the first round of the 2021 postseason. Atlanta has yet to turn in its injury report. It is worth noting that Capela has missed three games in a row due to an ankle injury.

The Hawks started 8-1 at home this season, but have since dropped nine straight games at State Farm Arena. Against the spread, they are an abysmal 15-26 this season.

Final Knicks-Hawks prediction and pick

This is a close one, but the Knicks are more likely to emerge victorious in this one. They enter this game with more confidence having won against one of the best teams in the West in the Mavericks. Likewise, Atlanta can't seem to win in front of their home fans these days. With Capela's status also up in the air, it's hard to bet on their chances of snapping their 9-game home losing streak, which coincidentally began with a loss to the Knicks on November 27th, on Saturday night.

Final Knicks-Hawks Prediction & Pick: Knicks: +2 (-106)