New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 3 Betting Picks, Predictions, Odds & Lines

The Knicks will travel to Atlanta on Friday for Game 3 of the First Round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. On Wednesday, New York won at MSG to even the series to 1-1. It was the first playoff win for the Knicks in 13 years. It was also a continuation of the successful ATS run for New York. They have now covered in 14 out of their last 20 games. Over the season, they’re 46-27-1 against the spread. The Knicks’ straight up record is the same as Atlanta’s, 42-34. The Hawks are a bit worse covering, as they are 40-33-1 ATS this season. Friday night matchup will be the fifth between the two this season. After winning on Wednesday, the Knicks are 3-1 up this year.

New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 3 Betting Odds & Line Movement

The oddsmakers have Atlanta as -4 favorites in this one. It’s a slight drop from the opening -4.5. The total for Friday night is set at 211.

Notes on New York Knicks

Halfway through Game 2, the Knicks look on their way being swept at home. Still, that managed to stage an incredible 2nd half comeback and win 101-92. The key in turning the game was the performance of their bench players. Led by Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, and Taj Gibson, the second unit stormed to a 30-8 run in the second half that effectively decided the game. It’s been the story of this series so far. The Knicks’ starters keep getting outscored by the Hawks and the bench keeps them alive. So far, the starting unit has been outscored 87-146. One of the reasons is Thibodeau’s persistence in starting Elfrid Payton who clearly hurts the spacing and also doesn’t offer much contribution on the defensive end. Perhaps an even bigger reason for worry is the performance of Julius Randle. The New York’s best player this season is clearly struggling in this series. Randle has scored only 15 points in both of the first two contests, shooting 11-39 from the floor. So far, the Knicks had to rely on their defense to stay in games. Still, they had some luck on that end as the Hawks kept missing open 3-pointers in Game 2.

Other than Mitchell Robinson who’s been out for a while, all other players are available for Friday.

Notes on Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks will be disappointed by the way they lost Game 2 but have no one to blame but themselves. More than anything else it was their shooting that let them down, especially near the end of the game. They shot only 12-44 (27.3) from three although they had plenty of open looks. The veteran duo of Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari combined for miserable 3-16 from the floor. Bogdan Bogdanovic also had an off-night going 2-13 from 3pt range. On the other hand, Trae Young continues to thrive in his first career playoff series. He scored 30 on Friday and destroyed the Knicks in the pick-and-roll. He also had 7 assists and that number would have been much higher if his teammates used all the chances he created for them. Another positive for Atlanta is the performance of DeAndre Hunter. The young wing scored 18 on Wednesday but was even more valuable on defense. For the second game in the row, Hunter managed to slow down the Knicks’ best player, Julius Randle.

Cam Reddish and Brandon Goodwin are the only absentees for Atlanta for Friday night.

New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Game 3 Betting Picks, Predictions, Odds & LinesBetting Pick: Atlanta -4

Even though the series is tied, the Hawks have been the better team in this matchup. It’s hard to see Knicks replicating Wednesday’s second-half performance on the road. Plus, the Hawks are sure to have a better shooting night at home. This should be another close match, but we still believe that the Hawks should be able to cover.