A healthy Atlanta Hawks team will look to maintain its recent momentum as the New York Knicks welcome them to Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon.
New York hasn’t been getting consistent results at home as of late, and I’m taking Atlanta to cover in my Hawks vs. Knicks predictions.
Let’s dive into this matchup and put together a same-game parlay featuring Trae Young in my free NBA picks for Monday, January 20.
Hawks vs Knicks prediction
My best bet
Hawks +6.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Madison Square Garden has historically been a difficult place for opponents to play, and for a time, it looked like the New York Knicks were playing to that reputation again. But over the past 10 days, New York has lost three of its last four home games, including two defeats as favorites against the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now the Knicks will have to try to rebound from those losses against the Atlanta Hawks, who have won three games in a row as an underdog. The last two victories have come against the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, and in both cases, Atlanta has looked far better on defense than they have throughout much of the season.
The Hawks are allowing opponents to score 119 ppg on the year, and while some of that number is due to the team’s quick pace, they only rank 18th in defensive rating (113.4). But on Wednesday, they held Chicago to just 94 points. They then beat the Celtics 119-115 in an overtime contest on Saturday, allowing only 104 points during regulation.
The Knicks will provide another serious test for the Atlanta defense. While Karl-Anthony Towns (25.4 ppg) has missed the last two games and is considered day-to-day heading into Monday, New York has plenty of scoring options even without him, with Jalen Brunson (26.0 ppg) leading the way. But the Knicks aren’t as explosive as the Celtics by any means, and the Hawks are healthier than they’ve been in a long time.
Jalen Johnson (19.7 ppg) recently returned to the lineup, while Trae Young (23.2 ppg) and De’Andre Hunter (19.3 ppg) are also ready to go after minor injuries in recent days. This has made Atlanta a much more dangerous team on both sides of the court.
It may be a small sample size, but it’s also worth mentioning that the Hawks have won the first two games in the series between the teams this season, including a 108-100 win in New York on December 11. In both games, Atlanta covered as an underdog.
I’m betting on both the recent trends for each team and what we’ve seen in their previous matchups to continue on Monday. With the Hawks getting a healthy number of points, I’m taking Atlanta to cover.
Hawks vs Knicks same-game parlay
Hawks +6.5
Under 236.5
Trae Young Over 23.5 points
While the Hawks are my best play for this afternoon’s game, I think there are two other bets we can wrap into a good same-game parlay.
First, I’m going to take the Under due to the high total that bookmakers have set on this matchup. The last time these teams hooked up in New York, they combined for just 208 points, and both are coming off low-scoring contests.
Finally, I’m taking Trae Young to go Over his scoring total of 23.5 points. Young has hit that number in six of his last eight games overall, and is averaging a robust 28.4 ppg so far in January. Even if we don’t want the game total to go too high, there’s plenty of room for Young to get his share of points without threatening our other bet.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Hawks vs Knicks odds
Hawks vs Knicks live odds
Hawks vs Knicks opening odds
- Spread: Atlanta +6.5 | New York -6.5
- Moneyline: Atlanta +212 | New York -249
- Over/Under: Over 235 | Under 235
Odds courtesy of bet365
Hawks vs Knicks spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Knicks are an even 21-21-1 against the spread this year, with Atlanta going 18-23 ATS so far this season.
- Atlanta has covered in its last three games against New York, including both games the two teams have played this season.
- The Over has done well for bettors on both teams, putting up a 25-14-2 record when the Hawks play and going 24-19 in Knicks games.
- New York is playing to an average total of 228.1 ppg this season, with Atlanta averaging a total of 236.2 ppg.
Hawks vs Knicks trend
The Hawks are 3-0 ATS in their last three games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Knicks.
How to watch Hawks vs Knicks
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Monday, 1-20-2025 |
| Tip-off: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MSG, FDSN |
Hawks vs Knicks latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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