The New York Knicks will host the Atlanta Hawks for Game 2 of this best-of-seven series. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hawks-Knicks prediction and pick.
The Hawks came into Madison Square Garden for Game 1 and ripped the hearts out of 15,000 Knicks fans. Atlanta won outright on a last-second shot by Trae Young despite coming into the game as 1.5-point underdogs. The final score was 107-105 in favor of Atlanta, which was two points under the 214-point total.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Hawks-Knicks odds.
NBA Odds: Hawks-Knicks Odds
Atlanta Hawks +2 (-110)
New York Knicks -2 (-110)
Over 212.5 Points (-110)
Under 212.5 Points (-110)
Why The Hawks Could Cover The Spread
The Hawks came into Madison Square Garden and beat the Knicks at their own game. De'Andre Hunter being back in the starting lineup helped Atlanta's defense to start. New York turned it up on the offensive end, but that eight-point first-quarter lead turned out to be a difference-maker for the Hawks. Atlanta's stellar defense and Trae Young's brilliant performance are what catapulted the Hawks to a 1-0 series lead.
Young finished the game with 32 points and 10 assists in a clutch double-double outing. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Lou Williams chipped in with a combined 31 points, but it was ultimately Young that ripped the hearts out of Knicks fans late. Although many were unhappy with the way that Trae initiated contact and got foul calls regularly, the young star has perfected the art of getting calls and getting to the stripe. It's a great tactic against New York because a key way to beat this defense is to get them into foul trouble and hit your free throws.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks are one of the most inexperienced clubs in this year's postseason, and it showed in the first quarter of Game 1. The Knicks couldn't get anything going on the offensive end, which forced Thibodeau to enter Derrick Rose into the game rather quickly. Rose is one of two Knicks who have any sort of significant experience in this spot. The veteran point guard was tasked with slowing Trae Young down as well, which he did a good job of for stretches.
New York will certainly need to make adjustments to slow down the electrifying guard in Game 2, though. The Knicks should look to get physical with him on the offensive end and hope to slow him down in transition. That, along with the play of Julius Randle, will be the keys to Game 2 for New York. Randle had a rough outing with 15 points and 12 rebounds on 6-23 shooting from the field. RJ Barrett added 14 points, while Alec Burks was huge with his 27 points off the bench. The Knicks' bench was massive all game long and should continue to be a factor.
Final Hawks-Knicks Prediction & Pick
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau was nominated for Coach of the Year for a reason. Coaching in the NBA is all about making adjustments, and we can expect Thibs to make a number of them after losing Game 1. Thibs' coaching staff has had time to study the film and adapt to the Hawks' game plan, which revolves around Trae Young. Look for Young to be given several different looks by New York's defense. The X-factor for this game will be the play of Julius Randle, who is in a great bounce-back spot in Game 2.
FINAL Hawks-Knicks PICK: New York Knicks -2 (-110)
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