The NBA playoffs continue on Monday night, as we have three more matchups, all on the NBC family of networks. At 7:00 p.m. ET, it’s Game 2 of the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers on Peacock and NBCSN. At 8:00 p.m. ET, it’s Game 2 of the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets meet at 10:30 p.m. ET for Game 2 of their series. Those two games are available on NBC/Peacock. Let’s build our bankroll with our best NBA picks & predictions for Monday, April 20th’s game Hawks vs. Knicks.
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Monday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions: Hawks vs. Knicks
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Atlanta Hawks (+184) at New York Knicks (-220) | O/U 217.5 (-108/-112)
The Knicks picked up a 113-102 victory in Game 1 to jump out to the series lead, covering as a 6-point favorite as the Under (217.5) cashed.
The Knicks shot 48% (38-of-80) from the field in the series opener, while the Hawks were 44% (38-of-87). The difference came from distance, as New York was 48% (12-of-25) from behind the arc, too, while the Hawks were just 38% (14-of-37) from the perimeter. The Hawks need some improvement at the charity stripe, too, as they were just 63% (12-of-19), while New York made 11 more trips to the free-throw line, hitting 83% (25-of-30).
While Atlanta was plus-3 in assists, New York was plus-5 in rebounding, including seven more on the defensive glass, and it had a plus-2 ratio in both blocks and steals. The Knicks were plus-1 in turnover margin, too.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a strong game, going for 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks with a steal, while Jalen Brunson chimed in with 28 points and seven assists with five boards. CJ McCollum posted 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Dyson Daniels struggled with just four points, but he amassed 11 assists with nine rebounds and three steals to make his presence felt.
The Knicks covered in the opener, and the total went Under, as we hit our same-game parlay (SGP). Let’s roll with that exact combination again for Game 2, before the series shifts to the Dirty South for Game 3.
Picks: Knicks -5.5 (-110) & Under 217.5 Points (-112)
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