Hawks vs. Knicks Odds: Game 5 Preview, Picks, & Predictions
Sloan Piva is on fire after finishing 2-0 Tuesday night. Find out who he is betting on today in his Hawks vs. Knicks Game 5 Preview. Piva breaks down NBA odds and basketball betting tips, picks, predictions, and more!
NBA Picks: Hawks vs. Knicks Odds Update
- GM 5 Moneyline: NBA bettors can’t quite decide who they think will win Game 5 between the Hawks and Knicks. 55% of the moneyline action is on the Hawks as slight underdogs, while 45% is on the Knicks.
- GM 5 Spread: There’s not much difference between the spread and moneyline in this game, as the spread opened Knicks -1.5 and has shortened a half-point at most sportsbooks. If you want the Hawks with the half-point hook, you can still find Atlanta +1.5 at BetMGM Sportsbook.
- GM 5 Over/Under: The Over/Under is also pretty evenly split across the sports betting industry, with 53% of the money leaning toward Over 208.5 points. The point total opened at 207.5.
- NBA Props (Over/Under): According to player props, Trae Young is projected to score 25-26 points against the Knicks in Game 5. Next in line is Julius Randle, with his prop line set at 23.5 points. When it comes to rebounds, no player is projected to grab more boards than big man Clint Capela, who has an Over/Under of 13.5 rebounds.
Continue reading Sloan Piva’s Hawks vs. Knicks Game 5 betting preview below!
Hawks vs. Knicks Game 5 Odds
| Hawks Odds | +1.5 |
| Knicks Odds | -1.5 |
| Moneyline | +100/-120 |
| Over/Under | 208.5 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
Hawks vs. Knicks Game 5 Preview
The New York Knicks shocked the basketball universe this season, finishing in fourth place with a 41-31 record in their first year under coach Tom Thibodeau. But now, the Knicks are the ones being shocked, as they find themselves one loss away from a gentleman’s sweep at the hands of the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
New York started the series favored over the Hawks, who finished with the same exact record but got swept by the Knicks in their regular-season series. But Atlanta quickly flipped the script, stealing Game 1—and home-court advantage—with a 107-105 at Madison Square Garden. New York won Game 2 101-92, but the Hawks won Games 3 and 4 handily back in Atlanta.
With the Knicks back at home in an elimination game, it’s hard not to like their -1.5 spread and -125 moneyline. New York outscored Atlanta 260-239 in its two regular-season games versus Atlanta at MSG, and 206-199 at MSG so far this series. The Knicks went 26-12 at home this year, while the Hawks were just 17-21 in road contests.
New York’s success against the spread and as a favorite paint an even more optimistic picture for Knicks fans. Thibodeau and his squad finished the regular season with a 23-14-1 home record ATS (fourth-best in the NBA), and an NBA-best 14-5 record ATS as a home favorite.
This all illustrates that New York takes care of business at home when it should, and today they should take care of business with their backs against the wall. That all starts with NBA Most Improved Player Julius Randle, who averaged 37.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists against Atlanta this season. The seven-year vet had 15-12-4 in both Game 1 and Game 2. We could witness an offensive explosion from the 26-year old tonight.
NBA Pick ATS: Knicks -1.5
Thibodeau will be looking for his team to pace and space from the jump. That starts with veteran point guard Derrick Rose and rookie backup PG Immanuel Quickley, who both serve as spark plugs for this young Knicks squad. If they establish an up-tempo pace, it will be easier for New York to space the floor and find open shots for wings like RJ Barrett, Alec Burks, and Reggie Bullock.
But the home squad won’t stave off elimination unless it plays defense. The Knicks have allowed Atlanta to average 108.3 points in their three losses this series, led by electric third-year point guard Trae Young. Ice Trae has been cold-blooded this series, averaging 27.5 points with a dominating inside-outside approach.
Young is a special talent, capable of exploding into fire mode at a moment’s notice. Whether home or away, he can take the opponent’s breath away. Thibs probably knows at this point that DRose and IQ cannot slow this 22-year old phenom down.
It’s Young’s supporting cast—big men John Collins and Clint Capela, and wings Bogdan Bogdanović, Danilo Gallinari, Kevin Huerter, and De’Andre Hunter—that the Knicks must slow down. Six Hawks reached double-digits in points last game, and seven different Hawks posted double-digits in Game 3. In contrast, only four Hawks finished with double-digit points in Games 1 and 2.
It all goes back to Atlanta’s Jekyll and Hyde-like home-and-away splits. During the 2020-’21 season, the Hawks enjoyed a +6.7 margin of victory at home, but a -1.8 losing margin as visitors. They shoot poorly and do not take care of the basketball on the road, and that should be no different in a potential close-out game under the bright lights.
Atlanta is 100 percent going to win this series, but I just don’t see it happening in Game 5. The Hawks are young, and clearly not ready to dominate teams of equal or greater strength in away games. To add an exclamation point to that thought, the Knicks are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as home favorites.
I like New York -1.5 better than any other bet in this one. But I don’t blame you whatsoever if you want to take the Knicks’ -125 moneyline, as there is still plenty of value there. I also like the home squad’s -0.5 first-half line (-106). No team in the league has allowed fewer first-half points on their home court than New York this season, with opponents averaging just 51.8 halftime points at MSG. As a result, the Knicks enjoy an average first-half margin of +2.7 at home.
I’m not interested in the over/under of 208.5 here. If the Knicks defense shows up, the under could hit. If Trae Young goes off, the over could easily hit. I would be leaning over if I had to make a pick, but I would much rather take the higher-value pick and go with NY -1.5 to stay alive. And that’s no jive!
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Knicks 107-103
More NBA Betting Tips
Bet $1, Win $76 if Sixers Win Series
Jazz vs. Grizzlies Game 5 Preview
Image Credit: Imagn