Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Predictions, Odds & Picks for Game 1

• The #7 seed Philadelphia 76ers begin their series with the #2 seed New York Knicks on Saturday
• The Knicks took three of four against the 76ers this season
• See the 76ers vs Knicks predictions, odds, and picks for Game 1

Not all 2 vs. 7 series are the same. After defeating the Heat in the Play-In Tournament, the 76ers clinched the #7 seed and now face the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. This should be a close, hard-fought series that will come down to the wire. Despite the seeding, the sportsbooks have Philadelphia favored to advance to the next round.

Tip-off for Game 1 in this highly anticipated series is scheduled for 6 pm ET at Madison Square Garden, The winner of this series will play the winner of the Bucks and Pacers in the NBA playoff bracket.

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Odds

New York is favored to win Game 1 at Madison Square Garden despite being underdogs to win the series.

The Knicks opened as 3-point favorites in Game 1 and before moving to -3.5 New York is -160 on the moneyline, which means sportsbooks are giving them a 61.54% implied probability of winning the series opener.

The O/U opened at 206.5 and has since been bet up to 209.5, where it is currently sitting.

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76ers Betting Trends

The 76ers are one of the top against-the-spread teams in the NBA heading into the playoffs. Philadelphia is 48-35 (57.8%) ATS and has covered the spread in 12 of their last 14 games. The 76ers are also one of the hottest teams in the league, entering Game 1 on a nine-game winning streak. They only covered once in the four games they played against New York, however.

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Joel Embiid will need to come up big for the Knicks both in this game and in the series. The 2023 NBA MVP has been great for Philadelphia when he has been on the court, but he only played in 39 games this regular season which is why the 76ers are this low of a seed. Since his return at the start of April, Embiid has averaged over 29 points per game, picking up right where he left off before the injury. The 76ers have also averaged 115.8 points per game since Embiid came back.

Despite that, the 76ers struggled in their Play-In game against the Heat. Jimmy Butler was not 100% and yet they won by just a point. Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey both shot poorly and if not for Nic Batum’s six three-pointers, the 76ers would not be playing in this series against the Knicks.

Knicks Betting Trends

The Knicks have not been too bad for bettors either this season. New York has gone 43-36-3 (54.4%) ATS this year, and they ended the regular season with five straight wins. The Knicks have played great on their home court as well, as they went 27-14 at MSG. New York went 3-1 both straight up and against the spread against the Sixers this season.

Just one of those games featured two fully healthy teams, but New York took care of business in that one.

Jalen Brunson has been the star of the Knicks’ season. Brunson is playing like one of the top point guards in the league and is averaging 28.7 points per game this year. He has been on fire especially of late, as he has scored at least 39 points in four of his last five games. A turning point in New York’s season occurred when they acquired OG Anunoby. The Knicks are 20-3 in games where Anunoby has played.

The Knicks win with their defense like any team led by Tom Thibodeau. They are top ten in defensive rating, and OG Anunoby has escalated New York’s defense even more.  Despite their defensive capabilities, the over has hit in each of the Knicks’ last five games and has cashed in 13 of New York’s last 15 games.

PHI vs NYK Player Props

Player props from the Fanatics Sportsbook app on April 19.

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The NBA player props expect a lot of points from each team’s superstar. Jalen Brunson’s O/U is 30.5, and Joel Embiid’s is 29.5. Over his last four games, Embiid is averaging 12.75 rebounds which is over his current prop of 11.5.

Brunson has scored over 30.5 points in six of his last seven games. The only time he didn’t in that stretch, he still scored 30.

76ers vs Knicks Prediction

This entire series will be a fun one to watch, and Game 1 will not differ. Both teams are hot, but I trust Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks on their home court Saturday. The 76ers struggled to score against the Heat in the Play-In game and also struggled when they played New York earlier in the year. I expect that to continue, and Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will ride their home-court advantage to a Game 1 victory by at least four points.

If the 76ers want to score, it will have to be from behind the three-point line. The Knicks allow teams to shoot the three and that is where they are most vulnerable. That does not play into what the 76ers want to do as they shoot just 36.3% from behind the arc. Nonetheless, I expect plenty of three-pointers to be shot by Philadelphia.

Surprisingly, Joel Embiid has been shooting the three more often since returning from injury. He has made at least two three-pointers in his last five games and in seven of his last eight. I expect him to get at least two again in Game 1, and I like getting it at plus-money.

PHI vs NYK picks:

• Knicks -3.5 (-110)
• Joel Embiid Over 1.5 Three Pointers Made (+105)