Today’s featured matches, best betting recommendations, and odds: Hawks vs. Knicks, Ducks vs. Oilers, etc.
The New York Knicks were on fire late in the regular season, Avery Bradley Jersey winning five of their final six games, while the Atlanta Hawks lost three of their last four. This momentum carried into the playoffs, with the Knicks taking a 1-0 lead in their first-round series.
On Monday, Atlanta will visit Madison Square Garden to face New York in Game 2 of a best-of-seven series in the 2026 NBA playoffs, aiming to tie the series. The Knicks, who won two of their three regular-season games against the Hawks, will be looking to take a 2-0 lead after a 113-102 home victory on Saturday.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 28 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 25 for New York. The team finished the playoffs 4-5 at home last season, but boasts a 30-10 home record in the 2025-26 season and has had a strong start to this year’s playoffs at home.
Since defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Atlanta Hawks have lost three consecutive playoff series. However, Atlanta has reason to believe they can even this series, having won five of their eight games at Madison Square Garden before their Game 1 loss.
Two more games will be played in the second round of NBA first-round series on Monday, including the Denver Nuggets hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Center at 10:30 p.m. ET. The Nuggets, who defeated the Timberwolves 116-105 in Game 1, are trying to avenge their loss to Minnesota in the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals.
The 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs continue with four games in the first round on Monday, including the Western Conference series opener between the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena at 10:00 p.m. ET. The Oilers are embarking on their third consecutive journey to the Stanley Cup Finals, while the Ducks are making their first playoff appearance since 2018.
The MLB evening schedule features nine games, one of which tips off at 6:40 p.m. ET at Loan Depot Park, where the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals (13-8) will face the Miami Marlins (10-12) in Game 1 of their three-game series. The Cardinals are aiming for a six-game winning streak on both the overall record and the road, having won six of their last seven road games after sweeping the Houston Astros over the weekend.
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According to the latest NBA consensus odds, the Precious Achiuwa Jersey is favored by 6.5 points against the Hawks, while the Nuggets are favored by 7.5 points against the Timberwolves. The Oilers are favored by -175 against the Ducks, and the Marlins by -132 against the Cardinals.
The New York Knicks have been on a roll lately, winning four of their last six games by double-digit margins—including Game 1 of the series on Saturday. The Hawks lost to the Miami Heat by 26 points in their regular-season finale and also fell short in Game 1 of the series by 11. SportsLine’s prediction model expects little change in Game 2, as the Knicks have covered the spread in 69% of their simulations. CJ McCollum scored 26 points for Atlanta in Game 1, and SportsLine’s NBA expert Mike Barner (65-for-102 in 167 NBA player predictions, netting $2,424) predicts he’ll score at least 18 points on Monday.
