On Wednesday, December 11th, the New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the quarterfinals of the Emirates NBA Cup. We’re going to dive into all the individual matchups in this exciting tournament. That said, keep reading for odds, picks and player props for this game, and make sure you also check out our live VSiN programming for more analysis. Our talented hosts and analysts will surely spend some time talking about these games. After all, the final three games of this tournament will be played in our backyard, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How To Watch Hawks vs. Knicks
When: Wednesday, December 11th at 7:00 pm ET
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
Channel: ESPN
Hawks vs. Knicks Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of Tuesday, December 10th. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Knicks -270, Hawks +220
Spread: Knicks -7 (-108), Hawks +7 (-112)
Total: Over 237 (-105), Under 237 (-115)
Hawks vs. Knicks Analysis
Get ready for some loud anti-Trae Young chants from the New York crowd. Before Joel Embiid became the city’s No. 1 villain, it was Young that had real estate in the heads of Knicks fans. That’s going to add some extra intrigue to this meeting between Atlanta and New York in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. However, this is a game that New York really should win.
Over the last 13 games, the Knicks are 10-3 and have the third-best net rating (+9.5) in basketball. This New York team is first in offensive rating in that span, and the team is bordering on being historically good on that end of the floor. The Knicks have an offensive rating of 121.0 this season, and that isn’t far off from the number posted by the Celtics (122.2) last year. And if New York keeps up what we have seen over the last few weeks, it might get there. However, the Knicks have also stabilized a bit defensively, as their defensive rating is 113.6 over the last 13 games. That’d be good for 16th in the NBA over the course of the entire season, and New York really doesn’t need to be much better than that with its ability to score. Meanwhile, the Hawks are just 20th in the NBA in offensive rating, and they’re 19th in defensive rating. This is a decent basketball team, but it’s not a great one. And being anything less than stellar defensively is dangerous against this New York offense.
This is simply a bad matchup for the Hawks, as Jalen Brunson is going to punish Trae Young whenever the Atlanta guard is defending him. Of course, the Hawks are going to try and have Dyson Daniels on Brunson as often as possible. But the Knicks have been great about hunting switches all year. So, if they’re patient and willing to be deliberate in running actions, they should be able to get the matchups they want. Also, Atlanta is giving up more made 3s per game (16.0) than any team in basketball this year. That’s going to be a nightmare for the Hawks, as the Knicks are second in the NBA in 3-point percentage (39.9%). Don’t be surprised if Karl-Anthony Towns lights it up here. Clint Capela is no longer as quick as he used to be, so New York will run plenty of pick-and-pop plays with Towns. And if Capela closes out too hard, Towns will simply blow by him and finish at the rim. The big man has been exceptional in his first season with the Knicks, and this is a great matchup for him.
Naturally, it’s fair to worry about the Knicks defending Young. Much like New York will be hunting opportunities for Brunson to attack Young, Atlanta will be looking to get Young some chances to go at Brunson. But the difference between the teams is that New York has the type of wing defenders required to slow down Young’s teammates. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges can handle Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter — and Johnson is currently listed as questionable (shoulder). And Towns, who is a pretty lousy defender, doesn’t really have to worry about Capela or Onyeka Okongwu as scorers.
As long as the Knicks aren’t tired from a tough road outing in Toronto on Monday, they should handle their business here. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re 59-42-1 against the spread as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points under Tom Thibodeau. But you also can’t go wrong with playing the Over in this one. While the number is extremely high, Atlanta has gone Over in 17 of its 25 games this season, and New York has gone Over in 14 of its 24. Also, the Hawks play at the third-fastest pace in the league, and they’re going to try and speed the Knicks up here. New York generally likes to play slower, as the team is 26th in the NBA in pace. But the Knicks are the most explosive scoring team in the league this year, so they won’t mind somebody sucking them into a shootout.
Hawks vs. Knicks Player Props
Trae Young Over 21.5 Points (-111)
Young has been racking up assists at an absurd rate lately, but the Hawks might need him to be aggressive as a scorer here. As previously mentioned, Johnson and Hunter are going to have their hands full with Anunoby and Bridges. Sure, they will probably score a decent amount in transition, and they could find some opportunities to catch the Knicks sleeping with some sharp off-ball cuts. But overall, buckets won’t be as easy to come by as usual for Atlanta’s wings, and Young should be able to find some matchups he likes. Even when he can’t get Brunson to cover him, I like Young’s chances of blowing by Josh Hart. Young also scored 23 points when he faced the Knicks on November 6th, and we know he likes to silence the crowd at the Garden. That said, I think Young will be jacking up shots in this one. And he doesn’t have to be all that efficient to score 22 if the volume is there.
Hawks vs. Knicks Pick
I’m not going to play anything in this game individually. In fact, make sure you check out the Pro Picks page, as I found a way to lump the two Wednesday games together. However, if you want one play for this game, I’d lean towards going with the Over. This game is going to be played at a very fast pace, and the offenses will be the story of this one. These two teams combined to score 237 in their last meeting. There’s no reason they can’t do it again.
Lean: Over 236.5 (-115)
