NBA Playoffs Series Odds: Hawks’ Odds Jump After Game 1 Thriller vs. Knicks

Knicks vs. Hawks Series Odds

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No. 4 New York Knicks

The Knicks are bask in the playoffs for the first time since 2013 thanks in large part to head coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive scheme. But defense alone isn’t why the Knicks secured a playoff spot.

The defense was near the top of the NBA all season, but New York was still two games under .500 through 52 games. Over the next 20 games, the offense exploded and the Knicks went 16-4 to close the season. The Knicks ranked 23rd in Offensive Rating prior to that stretch and have been 13th in the league since.

In the first 52 games they were seventh in 3-point percentage (38%) and 29th in 3-point attempts (29.3 per game). In the final 20 games they shot 42% on 3s and ranked 22nd in attempts (32.0).

New York has three starters shooting above 40% since April  9: Julius Randle (41.9%), RJ Barrett (43.4%) and Reggie Bullock (42.4%). And the only team that has performed better than the Knicks against the spread (15-5, 75%) is the Washington Wizards, according to data from Action Labs.

From a health standpoint, the only player who won’t be available at the start of the playoffs is center Mitchell Robinson, though there is an outside chance that he could rejoin the team if the Knicks can make a deep run.

While a deep run in the postseason remains unlikely, the Knicks making the playoffs this season wasn’t on anyone’s radar either.

No. 5 Atlanta Hawks

The

Hawks shook up the coaching position mid-season when they let go of Lloyd Pierce in favor of Nate McMillan. The Hawks were 14-20 before the firing and 27-11 after McMillan took over. Since the move, the Hawks rank eighth in the league in Offensive Rating (115.9) and seventh in Net Rating (+4.5).

Bettors have benefitted from the switch as well — Atlanta is 23-14-1 (62.2%) against the spread over that span, including an NBA best 15-7-1 as favorites and 15-4 ATS at home, according to Bet Labs.

The Hawks’ late-season surge has them in the thick of the East, but oddsmakers aren’t giving he Hawks much of a shot against the elite teams.

If the Hawks are healthy, though, they could be a potential threat to the top tier teams in the conference.

Hawks vs. Knicks Game 2 Odds

Knicks vs. Hawks Round 1 Schedule

Game 1:Hawks 107, Knicks 105
Game 3: Friday May 28 | 7 p.m. ET ESPN
Game 4: Sunday May 30 | 1 p.m. ET ABC
Game 5: TBA
Game 6: TBA
Game 7: TBA