For the first time in three years, the Atlanta Hawks (46-36) are returning to the postseason. They’ll face a familiar foe in their opening-round series by taking on the New York Knicks (53-29) on Saturday in the series-opening contest.
Atlanta finished as the sixth seed after losing a tiebreaker to the Raptors. The Hawks had multiple opportunities to climb higher in the playoff picture, but the franchise dropped three of their final four regular-season games to finish tied with Toronto.
New York held off a charge from the Cavaliers for the league’s third season. The Knicks were impressive to close out the year, putting together a five- and seven-game win streak en route to keeping Cleveland as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Can New York use their homecourt advantage to put Atlanta in a precarious situation from the tip? We’ll cover that and provide bettors with our top three player props for this interesting series opener.
New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Over 27.5 Points
Jalen Brunson finished the regular season with numbers nearly identical to last season, averaging 26 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 2025-2026. And the Knicks finished in the exact same spots last season, entering the Eastern Conference playoffs with the No. 3 seed.
Can Brunson help his squad return to the conference finals again? Time will tell. But the first game of each series is often a telling one. The team that records a victory in the series opener advances nearly 60 percent of the time.
That’s why New York needs Brunson firing on all cylinders entering this contest. He’s posted a pair of 30-plus games against the Hawks thus far, suggesting he’s more than capable of having a big night on Saturday. Take Brunson to cover his scoring line against the Hawks.
Atlanta Hawks’ Jalen Johnson OVER 39.5 Pts + Reb + Ast
Folks worried how the Hawks would replace Trae Young did not realize the budding superstar Atlanta had on the roster in Jalen Johnson. The 6-foot-8 forward led his team in points (22.5), rebounds (10.3), and assists (7.9) during the regular season.
His worst showing against the Knicks this year was his last, a 21-point, 11-rebound, five-assist night. In two other games, Johnson notched at least 40 combined points, rebounds, and assists. Take the well-rested budding star to cover his combination prop line on Saturday.
New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns OVER 11.5 Rebounds
Karl-Anthony Towns has been a problem for NBA teams over a decade now. This season, the seven-footer finished with 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, averages that have declined for the Knicks’ big.
That doesn’t mean he’s slowing down, however. The league’s second-best rebounder this season recorded 27 rebounds in a pair of contests against Atlanta during the regular season. There’s no reason to expect Saturday’s Game 1 matchup will end differently. Bettors should take Towns to notch at least a dozen rebounds to cover this player prop wager.
Best Bet: New York (-5.5)
New York has won two of the three contests against Atlanta this season. Both of the Knicks’ wins were by a three-point margin. The Hawks’ lone win game in early January, a 111-99 victory inside Madison Square Garden.
Can the Hawks repeat that performance? The short answer is no. Towns wasn’t available when Atlanta sniped the Knicks, helping the Hawks pull off their lone win over New York. Bettors should expect the home team will cover their 5.5-point spread on Saturday in this series-opening contest.
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