Knicks a Slim Favorite Over Trae Young, Hawks Wednesday

Wednesday night will bring a sense of familiarity for the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks when Trae Young became an enemy of the Madison Square Garden faithful in the 2021 Playoffs. He'll have the chance to cook the Knicks again here, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 PM ET. NY sits at an underwhelming 11-13 on the year, but they're coming off an impressive 92-81 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks, meanwhile, are 13-11 and lost to the OKC Thunder by seven points. Trae missed a game after a reported heated exchange with head coach Nate McMillan. Keep reading for the Hawks vs. Knicks prediction.

Before we get into the odds, preview, and pick, take a look at our tips for betting on NBA games and how to bet on NBA futures.

Hawks vs. Knicks Odds

	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Atlanta Hawks	+2 (-110)	TBD	Ov 232 (-110)
New York Knicks	-2 (-110)	TBD	Un 232 (-110)

The Knicks are a slim 2-point favorite for Wednesday's home matchup. They're 10-12-2 ATS and have covered in just 45.5% of their games. The Hawks are 10-13-1 ATS. Atlanta has won two meetings in a row against New York, including a 112-99 victory last month.

Hawks Betting Analysis

Atlanta's record is by no means elite, but it's good enough for fourth place in the East. The backcourt of Young and Dejounte Murray are certainly making their presence felt. Trae is averaging 27.6 points, 9.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds, but he's shooting just 29% from deep. Murray is putting up 21.5 points, 6.5 dimes, and 5.7 boards and draining 36.6% of his triples. The Hawks rank 13th in PPG and possess an offense and defense that ranks around the middle of the pack in the Association. They've really struggled as a group to shoot the three-ball in fact, sitting 27th with a brutal 32.7% from beyond the arc.

That was a problem again in the Thunder loss. Atlanta shot a mere 34% from long distance and just 43% from the field. Murray dropped a team-high 24 points, while Trae actually struggled after missing the last contest, compiling 23 points and ten dimes. At first glance, that looks like a decent stat line but he was wildly inefficient. The storyline was their inability to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went off for 35 points as he continues to play at an MVP level. On a more positive note, you can expect Young to go off come Wednesday. He's a proven Knicks killer and always flourishes at MSG.

Knicks Betting Analysis

Ever since disappointingly bowing out in the first round of the playoffs against the Hawks in 2021, the Knicks have struggled immensely to find any success again. Even with the addition of Jalen Brunson, Tom Thibodeau's group is far from a threat in the heavily competitive East. They rank 23rd in defensive rating and 14th in offensive rating, dead last in three-point percentage (31.3), and 24th in field-goal percentage (45.4). If you can't shoot the ball went in this league, there is no chance of being a top team. That's a guarantee. Brunson might not be the savior, but he has been their best player. The former Mavs guard is averaging 21 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds, serving as the ultimate creator and scorer. Julius Randle is also dropping 21.1 points per contest.

New York does have something to build off. The win over Cleveland was an impressive performance, holding the Cavs to a 23% clip from deep and killing them on the boards due to the absence of Jarrett Allen. Offensively, the Big 3 all made their presence felt. Brunson led the charge with 23 points. Randle and RJ Barrett combined for 33, too. The Knicks have dropped four of their last five games at the Garden, which isn't exactly a great sign for Wednesday.

Hawks vs Knicks Prediction

Trae is averaging nearly 28 points per game and 10 dimes against the Knicks in his career. I expect him to ball out and lead the Hawks to yet another win over a familiar foe. New York is just 5-7 at home as well. Atlanta is worth a pick.

Atlanta Hawks To cover against New York Knicks

+2 (-110)

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