NBA Basketball BETTING PREVIEW - Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks

NBA Basketball

2026-04-18 - Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks

A Sports Betting Preview by FirstDown

Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks
United States : NBA Basketball Playoffs First Round Game 1
Saturday 18th April 2026 - Scheduled 6pm EST
11pm (British Time)

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Preview

After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and feeling like they could have gone further, all of the pressure is on the New York Knicks to find way back into the NBA Finals and perhaps end a long wait for a Championship.

They won the NBA Cup, but the New York Knicks finished with the Number 3 Seed in the Conference.

There was a real hope that this Seed would result in a First Round Series with the Toronto Raptors, who have lost all five games against the Knicks in the regular season. Instead the Knicks have been 'rewarded' with a First Round Series against the Atlanta Hawks who were one of the hottest teams in the NBA after the All Star Break and who can play with the freedom of having 'nothing to lose'.

In pre-season, many believed the Hawks would be much improved by pairing Trae Young with Kristaps Porzingis.

Injury and poor form meant that failed to really operate as hoped and both players have since been moved on and that has opened the door for younger players to burst through and show their worth. Jalen Johnson has really raised his level and looks like he is ready to take the next step in his development, but the Hawks have a number of younger, hungrier players that have proven their own worth.

Add to that roster the likes of CJ McCollum, Jonathan Kuminga and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and you have a number of players not only with Playoff experience, but with Conference Finals experience.

Together, it makes the Atlanta Hawks dangerous and perhaps the most out of all four of the lower Seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Knicks will appreciate the threat posed by the opponent and that is clear despite winning two of the three regular season games.

However, those two wins have come by a combined 6 points and the one game played at Madison Square Garden ended in a blowout win for the road team.

New York have been very good Offensively all season, but the real challenge for them is producing stronger Defensive efforts, which had been a feature of the Tom Thibodeau reign before he was fired as Head Coach at the conclusion of last season. The Knicks will score, but this is a dangerous Atlanta team to go shot for shot with and that will allow the Hawks an opportunity to make this a very competitive Series.

The Hawks were beaten by both New York and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the final few days of the regular season, but the Knicks have struggled when facing teams with winning records. That victory came by a three point margin and this feels like one of those opening games in the First Round of the Playoffs where the road team can push forward and make use of the points being given to them.

The experience edge is with the New York Knicks in terms of how the current rotation have fitted together in the Playoffs previously, but the Hawks are playing very well and have been for some time.

Over the next few days, Atlanta will be chasing a split of the opening two games to be played at Madison Square Garden and this opening game may offer the best route to achieving the split at a minimum.

Prediction

Home teams have dominated Game 1 of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs over the last couple of years, but the road underdog in this one has a mighty bite and can keep this competitive.

The Pick :

New York Knicks 111-108 Atlanta Hawks

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Atlanta Hawks + 5.5 Points at -110 with Bovada