The Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks playoff game is set to tip off at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 18, with the Knicks entering as 6.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
Atlanta and New York add another chapter to their rivalry with what is surely to be a heated first-round playoff matchup. Instead of facing the Knicks's public enemy, PG Trae Young, they will be met by a new-look Hawks team led by breakout star F Jalen Johnson. These teams met three times in the regular season, with the Knicks winning the season series 2-1.
Below, we'll break down our Hawks vs. Knicks prediction and picks for Saturday’s NBA Playoff game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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Hawks vs. Knicks Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, April 18
It’s been an incredibly fun season for Hawks fans, but a first-round victory over their rivals from New York would be icing on the cake. Atlanta has shed the weight of its past by trading away its once face of the franchise, PG Trae Young. Instead, they it has chosen to embrace its youth movement, highlighted by F Jalen Johnson and SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Johnson set a Hawks record for triple-doubles in a season with 13 this season, tied with PG Josh Giddey for the second-most in the NBA. He is clearly the foundation of this franchise and will likely have to be at his very best if Atlanta is to pull off the first-round upset.
The Knicks had a fantastic regular season in their own right. They finished the year with two more wins than last season but still occupy the same No. 3 seed they had in the 2025 playoffs. They reached the conference finals last year and will look to build on their disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers and get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Hawks vs. Knicks Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, April 18
The Knicks enter Saturday’s game as 6.5-point home favorites against the Hawks, returning a 1.38x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Hawks vs. Knicks game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: New York Knicks -6.5 (1.96x payout)
- Over/Under: 219.5 (1.96x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Hawks - 2.77x | Knicks - 1.38x
Play the Hawk vs. Knicks spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks Timeline
Here is the full Hawks vs. Knicks timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: Atlanta Hawks, 209-204
Regular Season: Atlanta Hawks, 204-195 (Knicks 2-1 this season)
Postseason: New York Knicks, 9-5
Hawks vs. Knicks Prediction on Spread for NBA Playoffs First Round
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Hawks vs. Knicks prediction on the spread for Saturday, April 18.
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- The Knicks have some of the most drastic against-the-spread (ATS) splits you'll find.
- At home, New York is 27-13-0 (67.5%) ATS, by far the best home covering record in the NBA. On the road, they are 15-26-0 (36.6%) ATS, tied for the worst road covering record. Fortunately for them, tonight’s game is at Madison Square Garden.
- The Knicks may possess a sizeable advantage on the glass over Atlanta. New York ranks fifth in the NBA in total rebounding percentage (52.2%) compared to Atlanta, who rank 17th (49.5%).
- The Hawks have done an impressive job of forcing turnovers, but more importantly, scoring points off those turnovers. They rank fourth in points scored off opponents' turnovers at 17.4%.
- This will be difficult to replicate against the Knicks, who give up just 7.3 steals per game, the second-fewest in the league.
Hawks vs. Knicks Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks – 4/18/26
Here are the top Hawks vs. Knicks picks to target on PrizePicks for Saturday, April 18. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include Jalen Johnson and Jalen Brunson.
Hawks F Jalen Johnson vs. Knicks Projection: 39.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This is a huge pace-down game for Johnson and the Hawks, who rank fifth in pace, facing the Knicks, who rank 25th, per NBA Advanced Stats.
- Johnson had more than this projection in just one of his three regular-season matchups against New York.
- The Knicks have played impressive defense all season, ranking seventh in defensive rating (112.3) and fifth in opponent field goal percentage allowed (46%).
- Additionally, New York has stifled opponents' counting stats, which are important for Johnson if he were to exceed this projection. The Knicks allowed just 40.5 rebounds (third) and 25 assists (sixth) per game this season.
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Knicks G Jalen Brunson vs. Hawks Projection: 37.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- This is a sweet pace-up game for Brunson and the Knicks, who are facing the Hawks (fifth in pace).
- Brunson has cooked at home all season, averaging +2.3 more points and +0.2 more assists per game at MSG.
- He has logged more than this projection in two of his three matchups vs. Atlanta this season, including a 30-3-13 outing just 12 days ago.
- The Hawks' primary defender on Jalen Brunson will likely be SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who has the third-worst defensive rating (112.0) among qualified Hawks players.
- Atlanta is also below average in terms of rebounds (45.2) and assists (26.6) allowed per game to opponents.
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NBA Playoffs Live Picks: Hawks vs. Knicks on PrizePicks for Game 1
Here are some in-game angles to target for your Hawks vs. Knicks live picks in tonight’s game.
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- If the Knicks win, it may be because Brunson is getting it done from deep. The Knicks PG is shooting 39.8% from deep in wins but just 31.0% in losses.
- Consider a shot on the Hawks winning the first quarter? This season, the Hawks have a higher net rating in the first quarter than the Knicks.
- The Knicks respond with better net ratings in the following three quarters. New York leads the NBA in net rating (+11.7) in the final quarter, 3.7 points ahead of the next-best team, the Detroit Pistons.
- The Hawks rank in the top five in pace for every quarter. The Knicks, however, rank in the bottom three in every quarter except the third, where their pace improves to 16th. Could the third quarter provide plenty of points with a quick pace?
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The NBA Playoffs are finally here, and we’ve got fun first-round series action across the board. Will the Hawks continue their surprise season with a round one upset? Or will the Knicks prove they are still a title threat by dispatching a young and scrappy Atlanta team?
Don’t wait until lock — make your Hawks vs. Knicks picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
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