by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Jan 20, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Where to watch: BSSE-ATL, MSG
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Hawks -3
FanDuel: Hawks -3
BetMGM: Hawks -3.5
Caesars: Hawks -3
Season record
Knicks: 25-21
Hawks: 23-21
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Knicks - Hawks preview, prediction and analysis
The New York Knicks will be playing the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, January 20 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The New York Knicks lost against the Washington Wizards last [day of week/full date] in [arena/stadium and city/state] with a score of [score]. The New York Knicks currently rank 4th in the Atlantic Division. Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and RJ Barrett 21 had for the Knicks, who have lost two straight home games to teams behind them in the standings this week after a stretch of seven wins in eight games.
“They had guys coming back into the lineup tonight, so they were amped up to play and they played great,” Barrett said.
Immanuel Quickley added 18 points and Julius Randle had 14 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot 6 for 17 and most of his makes came with the game out of reach. Starting center Mitchell Robinson played just nine minutes before leaving with a sprained right thumb.
“You miss who he is obviously, but that’s part of it,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But overall we didn’t play well.”
While the Knicks have won seven of their last 10 games, it’s a what have you done for me lately league, and the Knicks are coming off back-to-back losses against teams that aren’t in the playoff picture right now. Not to mention, they didn’t cover in the last two because they were favored in both games, including the 5.5 against the Wizards. The Knicks are still a very good team and will be dangerous to anyone who faces them in the playoffs, but they are going to have their moments where they forget to play defense. In a Thibodeau-coached team, you can’t have that.
The Atlanta Hawks won against the Dallas Mavericks last Wednesday in Dallas, Texas with a score of 130-122. The Atlanta Hawks currently rank 2nd in the Southeast Division. Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, Trae Young had 18 points and 12 assists for the Hawks. John Collins added 19 points.
“These are the things we were looking for or have been looking for with (Murray) and Trae,” coach Nate McMillan said. “Trae did a good job ... understanding that (Murray) had a hot hand, was feeling it and was in a rhythm and we tried to milk that.”
The Hawks are a weird bunch. They’ve won six of 10 but you never know what team they’re going to put on the floor. Though Mavs coach Jason Kidd thought the Hawks had a layup line going, Atlanta is only as good as their big three can go. If they can’t start playing consistently, you only have to wonder what does for the future.
Prediction
The Knicks have done relatively well in the last little bit against Atlanta, going 20-8-1 in the last 29 against the spread inside State Farm Arena. I think the Knicks will bounce back nicely here and get a much-needed victory. Knicks 108, Hawks 102
Betting trends
Knicks are 15-6 ATS on the road this seasons.
Knicks are 8-1 on the road after playing at home the previous game this season.
Over is 13-5 when the Hawks cover the spread the previous game.
Projected starting lineup
Knicks:
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Quentin Grimes
SF: RJ Barrett
PF: Julius Randle
C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Hawks:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Dejounte Murray
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
