Knicks-Hawks pick ’em
- The Knicks-Hawks series has been close enough that Game 3 was priced as a pick ’em by sportsbooks. ( ) - Social updates show the series sitting at 1-1, increasing stakes for the midseries game. (x.com) - Oddsmakers’ pick ’em pricing signals this series might be genuinely balanced, unlike chalkier matchups. (nytimes.com)
Sportsbooks pushed Knicks-Hawks to near even for Game 3 on Thursday, with the first-round series tied 1-1 as it shifted to Atlanta. (nba.com) (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) The New York Knicks are the No. 3 seed, the Atlanta Hawks are the No. 6 seed, and Game 3 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern on April 23 at State Farm Arena. NBA.com listed the series at 1-1 after New York won Game 1 and Atlanta answered in Game 2. (nba.com) (ajc.com) Atlanta’s split in New York changed the shape of the matchup. NBA.com’s series page says the Hawks erased a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 107-106 Game 2 win at Madison Square Garden. (nba.com) (sports.yahoo.com) That comeback helped flatten the betting market. Sportsbook Wire said New York opened as a 1-point road favorite, while Odds Shark listed Atlanta as a 1.5-point home underdog at FanDuel, a narrow range that amounts to pick ’em pricing. (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) (oddsshark.com) Most first-round series do not get this tight in the middle game when one team holds a higher seed and home-court advantage. The number suggested bookmakers saw little separation after two games, even with New York opening the series at home. (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) (oddsshark.com) The early numbers inside the series have been close, too. NBA.com listed New York averaging 109.5 points and Atlanta 104.5 through two games, with Jalen Brunson at 28.5 points per game and CJ McCollum at 29.0. (nba.com) The schedule now gives Atlanta two home games in a row. NBA.com lists Game 4 for April 25 in Atlanta before the series returns to New York for Game 5 on April 28, if needed games following after that. (nba.com) Game 3 was not just the next game on the bracket; it was the point where a 3-seed and a 6-seed looked priced like equals. (sportsbookwire.usatoday.com) (oddsshark.com)
