The Atlanta Hawks (15-16) travel to Madison Square Garden Christmas for a noon ET tip-off with the New York Knicks (14-18). Below, we look at the Hawks vs. Knicks odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
New York has alternated between winning and losing over the past five games with the most recent being a 124-117 loss to the Washington Wizards as 3-point home favorites.
Over the past two weeks, the Knicks are 2-5 straight-up (SU), 2-5 ATS and 3-4 O/U with the 17th-ranked non-garbage time net rating (minus-0.7 points per 100 possessions), according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Atlanta broke its two-game losing slump by upsetting the 76ers in Philadelphia 98-86 as 11-point road underdogs.
The Hawks are 2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS and 2-4 O/U in the last 14 days with the 22nd-ranked non-garbage time net rating (minus-5.4 points per 100 possessions), per CTG.
This is the rematch of last season’s first-round Eastern Conference best-of-seven playoff series when the Hawks beat the Knicks 4-1. New York won the first meeting this season 99-90 (Nov. 27) as 8-point road underdogs.
Hawks at Knicks odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Hawks +230 (bet $100 to win $230) | Knicks -300 (bet $300 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Hawks +6.5 (-107) | Knicks -6.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 209.5 (O: -107 | U: -115)
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Hawks at Knicks key injuries
Hawks
- PG Trae Young (health and safety protocols) doubtful
- C Clint Capela (health and safety protocols) out
- SF Danilo Gallinari (health and safety protocols) out
- PG Lou Williams (health and safety protocols) out
- SG Kevin Huerter (health and safety protocols) out
- SF De’Andre Hunter (wrist) out
Knicks
- SF RJ Barrett (health and safety protocols) questionable
- SG Immanuel Quickley (health and safety protocols) questionable
- PG Derrick Rose (ankle) out
- C Nerlens Noel (health and safety protocols) out
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Hawks at Knicks odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Knicks 109, Hawks 99
Money line
PASS even though New York is clearly the right side here because the Knicks (-300) is out of my price range.
Both teams are down key pieces but Atlanta is a shell of itself due to a COVID outbreak. The Hawks are missing plus-25.2 points per 100 possessions due to the absences of Trae, Huerter and Capela, according to CTG.
Atlanta overperformed expectations Thursday vs. the Sixers by covering as 11-point underdogs. But, I don’t give the Hawks much of a shot in this game since Christmas is the biggest primetime spot of the season, and the Knicks need this game like blood.
Against the spread
BET 1 unit on the KNICKS -6.5 (-107).
New York is eighth in 3-point percentage at 36.1%. Atlanta is 18-60 overall since the beginning of last season when allowing opponents to shoot 36.0% or better from behind the arc. And 50 of those losses by at least 7 points.
Furthermore, the Knicks have been hit by sharp money as this game has been steamed up from New York laying 3.5 points Wednesday up to the current price. So, we are getting the worst of the number but I still think there’s value in the KNICKS -6.5 (-115).
Also, I like fading public underdogs, which the Hawks have become. According to the Yahoo! Sports App, Atlanta’s spread is getting 58% of the wagers but New York laying the points is getting 62% of the cash, at the time of publishing.
My explanation behind that is the public has recency bias based on the Hawks’ upset over the Sixers and the Knicks’ disappointing loss to a Bradley Beal-less Wizards Thursday.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 209.5 (-115) for a half-unit because we are also getting the worst of this number, but I feel better about New York laying the points than the Under. The Hawks-Knicks total was sitting at 215.5 early Christmas Eve and has been lowered significantly.
That said, Atlanta ranks 20th in pace, and New York ranks 26th and the Hawks get out in transition a lot less when Trae, Capela and Huerter are off the floor. Not only that, but the Knicks have the 20th-ranked non-garbage time offensive efficiency at home this season.
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