Knicks at Hawks: NBA Playoff Odds & Betting Tips

A pair of lopsided wins put the New York Knicks on the verge of advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Jalen Brunson went off in Game 5 scoring 39 points putting the Hawks on the verge of elimination.

New York has outscored Atlanta by an average of nearly 11 points in the series showing how dominant they’ve been in their wins. The Knicks lost Games 2 and 3 each by a single point and opened as a slim 1.5-point favorite on the NBA playoff odds to close out the series.

Knicks at Hawks Preview

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first round playoff series between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks is set for Thursday, April 30, 2026 inside State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET with the game televised live on ESPN.

Public Betting Odds Factors

• When the Knicks win they win big. Their three series wins were all by double digits and they got better in the most recent games. It wasn’t a must-win situation, but it was as close as you could get. Down 2-1 in the series the Knicks needed a road win to level the series and Karl-Anthony Towns delivered.

• Posting the first postseason triple double of his career, KAT made sure the Knicks would pull even. It was one of the most complete games by a Knicks player in recent memory with Towns getting 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

• Towns is one of many weapons the Knicks use to beat opponents. In Game 5 Jalen Brunson did the honors scoring 39 points on 15 of 23 shooting from the field. As a team the Knicks shot 57 percent and maintained a double digit lead throughout the second half.

• There is a significant gap between the depth and talent levels of the teams. Atlanta needs to play at its best for an entire game to win and even then the Hawks are scraping by. They also need someone other than CJ McCollum to step up.

• McCollum scored 32 points helping the Hawks rally in Game 2 and drained the winning basket in Game 3 as part of his 23 point night. New York’s defense rallied in Game 5 limiting McCollum to just six points on 3 of 10 shooting.

• New York has diversified its offense but remains a team that prides itself on playing defense. The Knicks ranked among the top 5 during the season in points per game allowed and field goal percentage defense. As a result we routinely see totals on the NBA Playoffs spread hovering in the 214-216 range.

Knicks at Hawks Predictions

• Partly by accident the Knicks discovered a way to utilize KAT improving his numbers and making the offense more efficient. With his ability to distribute the basketball, Towns had 10 assists in Game 4 freeing Jalen Brunson to use his off-ball skills. New York shot nearly 50 percent in the win and was even better in Game 5.

• OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are two of the top wing defenders in the NBA and they’ve been a problem for Atlanta’s offense. The Hawks are shooting just over 44 percent as a team in the series and they were held to less than 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since early December.

Knicks at Hawks Betting Tips

• Atlanta was rolling at home at the end of the season winning 14 of its last 15 games with 12 payouts in that span. Their only two losses at State Farm Arena since Feb. 22 were to the Knicks; on Apr. 6 ending a 13-game home winning streak and in Game 4 of this series.

• New York is 8-2 against the NBA betting line in its last 10 games. The Knicks have also cashed the UNDER 10 times in their last 14 games.

Knicks at Hawks Head to Head and Key Stats

• Despite getting routed in the last 2 games the Hawks are confident they can beat the Knicks. They won at Madison Square Garden during the season and were twice beaten by 3 points.

• KAT has been a handful for the Hawks in the series averaging 20 points while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field along with 11.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Atlanta has done little to prevent him from running New York’s offense.