Knicks vs. Hawks prediction, odds, pick

The Atlanta Hawks host the New York Knicks at State Farm Arena. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Knicks-Hawks prediction and pick.

The Knicks are coming off a loss to the Houston Rockets on the road Monday night. That loss puts them back at .500 with a 3-3 record. After acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster deal right before the season began, the Knicks let the basketball world know they mean business. It will take some time to grow, but the Knicks will be in the conversation as summer rolls around. They must take advantage of games like this one, and take down the Hawks with ease.

Atlanta got torched by the Boston Celtics Monday night. Even worse news, Trae Young injured himself in the third quarter. It is unclear if he will be available against the Knicks. If he isn't the Hawks will be very shorthanded against one of the better teams in the East. Atlanta is currently 3-5 which places them 9th in the conference.

Here are the Knicks-Hawks NBA odds , courtesy of FanDuel.

NBA Odds: Knicks-Hawks Odds

New York Knicks: -8 (-106)

Moneyline: -320

Atlanta Hawks: +8 (-114)

Moneyline: +260

Over: 224.5 (-110)

Under: 224.5 (-110)

How To Watch Knicks vs Hawks

Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT

TV: Bally Sports Southeast, MSG Network, MSG Sportsnet

Stream: fuboTV ( Free Trial )

Why the Knicks Could Cover the Spread/Win

Neither team's injury report has been released, however, it's clear the Knicks' chances of covering this spread increase if Trae Young is out.

The team has six players who average double figures in points with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 26. The entire starting five for the Knicks average at least 13.8 points per game. They rely on those five players with Miles "Duece" McBride coming off the bench. The new addition Towns, is averaging 21.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. They need his ability to spread the floor which opens up lanes for Brunson.

Miles Bridges is an X-factor for the Knicks. His ability to be a thief on the defensive end is what makes him very valuable. Anything he does offensively is a bonus for a guy averaging 1.5 steals per game. In the games that see New York come out on top, it's usually because Bridges makes a key play on defense on multiple occasions. In their last win against Detroit, he finished with three steals and one block. In the loss to the Rockets, he had just one steal.

Josh Hart continues to be a do-it-all guy averaging 13.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. If he can cut back on the turnovers the Knicks will be in better positions to win.

Why the Hawks Could Cover the Spread/Win

Young is currently listed as a game-time decision. The injury isn't serious enough to be considered long-term, but it may be better if he sits out a game against a physical defense. Cody Zeller and De'Andre Hunter are also dealing with injuries.

Young continues to lead this team. He is averaging 23.9 points per game which is low for his standards. Although, only scoring two against Boston hurts the average more than it should. Young also averages 11.0 assists per game which is the highest of his career. That also leads the league. The Hawks will miss his presence if he can't play.

Jalen Johnson is emerging as a player. The former Duke Blue Devil is averaging a career-high 18.4 points with 10.0 rebounds to go along with it. Furthermore, he is averaging 5.1 assists which is by far the most of his career. They need him to continue playing well if they want a shot at covering this spread.

No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher is slowly getting involved more and more into the offense. He is averaging only 9.4 points, and the issue is his poor field goal percentage. Shooting just 32.9% from the floor, he must find the confidence to know he can make those shots. If he doesn't, he will continue to struggle.