NBA Best Bets, Oct. 27: New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks

When it comes to Friday’s slate, Vaughn Dalzell convincingly argues that the best bet lies in the first-half team total between the Knicks and Hawks. Let’s take a closer look.

Knicks at Hawks (-1): O/U 228.0

In their past six meetings with the Hawks, the Knicks have scored an impressive 59-plus points in the first half in five of those games, including the last three. This trend extends to their away games in Atlanta as well.

Although the Knicks struggled offensively in the season-opener against Boston, managing only 46 points, they were in relatively close contention as they trailed by just five points. Their shooting performance in the first half was subpar, with a 34% field goal percentage (17-of-50), ranking as the third-worst mark by any team at the start of the season.

Contributing to the Knicks’ struggle was Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson’s poor shooting performance, as they combined for just 11-of-43 (25.5%) from the field and 1-of-6 (16.6%) from the free-throw line. However, they are likely to turn things around against the Hawks, a familiar opponent that New York strongly dislikes.

While the Celtics boast one of the league’s best defenses, the Hawks’ defensive capabilities pale in comparison. Charlotte took full advantage of Atlanta’s style of play, resulting in a 116-110 home victory for the Hornets. Although Charlotte only managed to score 51 points in the first half, they significantly improved in the second half with 65 points. This suggests that New York has a good chance of hitting their first-half team total within the initial 30 minutes of the match. Personally, I placed a bet on New York’s First-Half Team Total Over 58.5 at -110 odds, and I would even consider going up to 59.5.

Pick: Knicks 1H Team Total Over 58.5 (1u)

Season Record: 2-2 (50%) +0.04 units

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