Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks Point Spread Picks

New York has clearly established itself as the better team again, as it took a 3-2 lead in the series following two one-point losses. Jalen Brunson scored 39 points, and the Knicks held Atlanta to fewer than 100 points for the second straight game, winning 126-97 in Game 5. The Knicks shot 57 percent and went 11-for-26 from 3-point range. The Hawks missed 29 of 42 from beyond the arc. New York is 8-2 ATS in its past 10 games and 10-4 UNDER in its past 14. New York has gone UNDER seven of nine road games, and Atlanta has stayed UNDER six of seven Thursday games. The Hawks have covered two of their past eight as underdogs. Atlanta has averaged only 102.6 points in this series. Three picks: Take the Knicks as a Max Play, back the first half UNDER, and play the full game UNDER.

New York is back on track following two one-point losses as the Knicks won Game 4 handily, 114-98. Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points and had his first postseason triple-double. Atlanta shot 41 percent overall and missed 31 of 41 3-pointers, which kept the game UNDER the total. The Hawks have lost 10 of 15 Tuesday games, and New York is 7-2 ATS in its past nine games, 5-1 ATS at home. Five of the past six meetings have gone UNDER, and the Knicks are 48-39 UNDER on the season. New York came out with more urgency and energy on Saturday as their postseason experience was on display. Those attributes will continue to shine in Game 5 against the Hawks, who are fortunate the series is tied rather than over. New York is 29-14 ATS at home. Take the Knicks to cover, and go big on the UNDER.  

New York finds itself in a desperate situation after erasing an 18-point deficit and then losing 109-108 in Game 3. C.J. McCollum hit a go-ahead jumper with 12.5 seconds left that proved to be the game-winner. The due factor is in the Knicks' favor after consecutive losses by one point, and it will be difficult for the Hawks to avoid at least a slight letdown after two big wins in thrilling fashion. New York has gone UNDER five straight on one day's rest, and the Knicks are 6-2 UNDER their past eight games while allowing only 103.8 points per game. Atlanta has gone UNDER nine of 12 against the Atlantic Division. The Hawks are 24-18 UNDER at home, and New York is 24-19 UNDER on the road. Take the Knicks and the first half and game to stay UNDER.

The past four meetings between these two have gone UNDER by an average of 12.5 points. New York has gone UNDER six of its past seven games overall and seven of eight against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is on a 6-3 UNDER run overall, and the Hawks are 7-3 UNDER their past 10 versus Eastern Conference teams, 6-1 UNDER against the Atlantic Division. The Hawks won Monday's game even while missing 21 of 30 from the 3-point line, although the Knicks weren't much better, hitting 11 of 34 from beyond the arc. New York is 47-38 UNDER this season. I'm taking advantage of this bloated first-half total and betting the UNDER. For my Game of the Week, I'm going Max Play on the full-game total staying UNDER.  

Combine the Knicks (-225) and the Nuggets (-250) into a 2-team parlay at  -103 odds.