Game Time: 7:30 PM ET, Saturday, January 15th, 2022 

Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Spread: NL

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  

WynnBet: Spread: 

Knicks: 21-21, 11th place Eastern Conference

Hawks: 17-23, 12th place Eastern Conference

An NBA Eastern Conference matchup between opponents who have both taken a hard fall after finding success last season.  The Eastern Conference has undergone a full shakeup since the 2021 season.The Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards have all improved and moved up in the standings.  A basic understanding of ranking anything on the planet wil tell you…. Some teams will have to fall to make room for the new good teams.  The Miami Heat refused to fall, the Brooklyn Nets are too good, the Milwaukee Bucks are last season’s champions… The result is that the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks , and the Atlanta Hawks have all taken it on the chin and fallen into the endless well of mediocrity. A big part of the problem for the Knicks and the Hawks is they were both good last season, but not so good that they shouldn't have looked to improve the roster… both failed to improve.  They are both held back by different problems though.  A quick look at the number will tell you that the Knicks stink because the Knicks roster stinks… while the Hawks stink because they have missed a lot of key players to injury all season long.  Who will have it for Saturday?... Let’s look at the numbers. These teams completed a trade with one another… The New York Knicks got SF/SG Cam Reddish form the Hawks while the Hawks got SF Kevin Knox and a 2022 first round draft pick (via the Charlotte Hornets) from the Knicks.  Now they get to play each other and wave to their former teammates on the other bench yay!

The New York Knicks had a brief crisis last week when their only star PF Julius Randle gave the “bird” to the Knicks faithfull in Madison Square Garden.  He wasn’t in the wrong… Knicks fans are rats.  Dirty, pizza eating rats.  Knicks fans get a ton of pleasure out of booing draft picks at the draft broadcast… booing their own players during home losses… booing owners, coaches, refs, and children wearing the wrong jersey.  Knicks fans suck.  The only person they should be booing is the horrible Knicks owner… How do you hold a bad game from your only current star and high-quality player in the same esteem as the 25 years of bad ownership… yet they get booed equally.  How do you boo Kristaps Porzingis before he even even dribbles a basketball in North America?... ow do you then find it confusing when Kristaps desperately wants to get as far away from you as possible?  Knicks fans deserve boos.  Knicks fans deserve bad pizza.  The Knicks have won 7 of their last ten games.  Their last loss was to the Boston Celtics 99-75…. 75?!!  THEY ONLY SCORED 75 POINTS!  They have had a good 4 wins over their last five games, but it all evens out for 11th place if you are going to turn in 75 point performances. IN the betting opportunity category the Knicks are 7-3 ATS over their last ten games.

The Hawks had all the answers ast season.  A true young superstar in PG Trae Young… a string supporting cast of quality big men and rising skill players… then this season hit and nearly every Hawk has missed multiple games from injury plus multiple games from Covid.  During the absences we saw what the Hawks aren’t… capable of pivoting.  The game plan is currently and seems to be moving in the direction of letting Trae Young shoot the ball 20-30 times a game while his teammates do the dirty work of defense and rebounding.  That system simply can not last.  They need the type of balance that is found in a Scottie Pippen type… a true #2 option that helps break the opponent's defensive sets.  SF/PF Deandre Hunter is almost that guy but has missed so many games to injury he can’t be relied on.  C Clint Capela will never be offensively talented enough to be that guy…  Where is the #2… How do they get it?  The Hawks are on a 3-game losing streak and have only 3 wins over their last ten games.  The season is a few wins away from being over… the only question left is who do they sell at the trade deadline to get ready for next season?

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The Knicks are 21-21 on the season, but 20-22 ATS.  They have notched 17 Overs and 25 Unders.  They are 10-10 in road games.

Atlanta is 17-23 on the season, but 15-25 ATS.  They have logged 20 Overs and 20 Unders.  They are 8-10 in home games.

The Knicks are 27th in scoring with 104.3 ppg, 14th in rebounds with 45.3 per, and 25th in AST/TO ratio with 1.6. They are shooting 27th in FG%, 8th in 3PT%, and 18th in FT%... in other words they are all over the map.

The Hawks are 10th in scoring with 110.3 ppg, 15th in rebounds with 45.2 per, and 4th in AST/TO ratio with 1.9.  They are shooting 14th in FG%, 4th in 3PT%, 7th in FT%.  The defense drops the ball ranked 25th and giving up 111.6 ppg to opponents.

Our prediction for Saturday, January 15th is….  Hawks 111 - Knicks 97

The Hawks have enough firepower and defensive hustle to hold the Knicks down and score on them almost at will.  The Knicks aren’t a hopeless franchise, but their roster will very soon start to feel hopeless because of the record and the New York Media.  They really ought to consider massive trades to rebuild in a hurry a la the Chicago Bulls… cause if the Knicks don’t find a solution on their roster,,, their roster won’t be getting any better with the Knicks management making mid-level draft picks.

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New York is 9-3 ATS versus Atlanta over the last 3 seasons.

New york is 3-2 ATS versus Atlanta at Atlanta over the last 3 seasons.

Knicks: SF Cam Reddish (ankle) Out ** PG Kenba Walker (knee) Out ** PG Derrick Rose (ankle) Out

Hawks:  Clint Capela (ankle) Quest Out ** SG Kevin Huerter (foot) Quest 

Knicks: SF RJ Barrett, PF Julius Randle, C Mitchell Robinson, SG Evan Fournier, PG Alec Burks

Hawks: SF Timothe Luwawu-Caborrot, PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu, PG Trae Young, SG Bogdan Bogdanovic

Knicks

Points: Julius Randle 19

Assists: Julius Randle 4.9

Rebounds: Julius Randle 10.2

Steals: Alec Burks 1.3

Bocks: Mitchell Robinson 1.6

Hawks

Points: Trae Young 27.7

Assists: Trae Young 9.4

Rebounds: Clint Capela 13.1

Steals: Cam Reddish 1.0 (now on the Knicks)

Blocks: Clint Capela 1.5

Coaches

Knicks: Tom Thibodeau

Hawks: Nate McMillan