The #3 Knicks will face the #6 Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs
The Knicks are heavy favorites to advance
See the Knicks vs Hawks series picks and odds
The #3 New York Knicks (53-29, 30-10 home, 22-19 away, 44-39 ATS) will clash with the #6 Atlanta Hawks (46-36, 24-17 home, 22-19 away, 44-28 ATS) in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoff bracket.
The Knicks took two of three from Atlanta in the regular season with the road team winning all three meetings.
With considerably more playoff experience on their roster and a significantly better Net Rating, New York has opened as a heavy favorite.
Knicks vs Hawks Series Odds
| Market | NYK | ATL |
|---|---|---|
| Series ML | -290 | +230 |
| Game Spread | -1.5 (-115) | +1.5 (-105) |
| Total Games | O 5.5 (-150) | U 5.5 (+120) |
The initial series price listed the Knicks at -360 and Atlanta at +290. But less than an hour later, the Knicks are down to -290 and the Hawks have moved to +230. The game spread has also moved in Atlanta’s favor; the Hawks were initially priced at +115 to at least force a Game 7. Now Atlanta is -105.
The total-games market lists over 5.5 as a -150 favorite and under 5.5 games as a +120 underdog.
Odds as of 10:08 pm ET, April 12, at DraftKings. Check out SBD’s DraftKings review for the latest offers and promo codes.
Hawks vs Knicks Team Stats
| Atlanta Hawks | Statistic | New York Knicks |
|---|---|---|
| 46-36 | Record | 53-29 |
| 118.5 | PPG | 116.5 |
| 116.0 | Opp PPG | 110.1 |
| +198 | Point Diff | +519 |
| 115.1 | O-Rating | 118.9 |
| 112.6 | D-Rating | 112.2 |
| +2.5 | Net Rating | +6.6 |
| 104.2 | Pace | 99.4 |
| .554 | eFG% | .557 |
| .546 | Opp eFG% | .541 |
| .474 | FG% | .478 |
| .371 | 3P% | .373 |
| .774 | FT% | .792 |
| 92.0 | FGA/G | 89.4 |
| 39.5 | 3PA/G | 38.2 |
| 21.5 | FTA/G | 21.3 |
| 43.5 | REB/G | 45.6 |
| 30.1 | AST/G | 27.4 |
| 14.2 | TOV/G | 13.6 |
| 9.4 | STL/G | 8.1 |
| 4.7 | BLK/G | 3.9 |
| 11.0 | OREB/G | 12.7 |
| 32.6 | DREB/G | 32.9 |
The Knicks finished the year with a +6.6 Net Rating, which was good enough for fifth-best in the NBA. That was largely thanks to a 118.9 O-Rating, which ranked third in the Association.
The Hawks were considerably lower. Their +2.5 Net Rating was just outside the top ten, with a middling O-Rating of 115.1 (15th) and an above-average D-Rating of 112.6 (9th).
Knicks vs Hawks Regular-Season Results
| Date | Location | Result | ATS Result | O/U Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27. 2025 | @ ATL | NYK 128, ATL 125 | NYK -5.5 | OVER (244.5) |
| Jan 2, 2026 | @ NYK | ATL 111, NYK 99 | ATL +4.5 | UNDER (239.5) |
| Apr 6, 2026 | @ ATL | NYK 108, ATL 105 | NYK +1.5 | UNDER (226.5) |
The Knicks also took two of three from the Hawks during the regular season, including a 108-105 road win just last week as 1.5-point road underdogs. Two of the three games stayed under their game total.
NY Knicks vs ATL Hawks Series Picks & Prediction
The Knicks have one of the best home-court advantages in the league and they’ve been absolute road warriors in the postseason recently. In the 2025 playoffs, the Knicks went a combined 6-3 straight-up on the road against the Pistons, Celtics, and Pacers.
The only Hawks with significant postseason experience is former Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Knicks have arguably been less than a sum of their parts for much of this season, but the line has moved too far towards the upstart Hawks.
I will gladly lay the minimal juice to get the battle-tested Knicks -1.5 at -115.
Pick: New York Knicks -1.5 Games (-115) at DraftKings