Can Knicks Earn Two-Game Lead Against 76ers?
Check Out Our 76ers vs Knicks Betting Picks For Game 2 Of The Series
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks escaped with a 111-104 victory at home. The Knicks now lead the series 1-0. But they’ll still need three more victories before they can move on.
Jalen Brunson scored just 22 points on 8-for-26 shooting. The All-Star struggled, but guys like Josh Hart and Miles McBride stepped up with a combined 43 points. The Knicks got it done with another great defensive performance against the 76ers.
Meanwhile, the 76ers didn’t get much offense from anyone other than Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Those two added 62 of the Sixers’ 104 points in the loss. In addition, Embiid re-injured his knee. He is still not 100% right now and shot just 8-for-22 from the field. He scored 29 points thanks to plenty of foul shots.
Knowing all that, the Knicks are six-point favorites for Game 2. The Knicks are also favored with a -230 price tag on the moneyline. On the other hand, the total is sitting at 205.5 with the under at -112.
Let’s look at the 76ers vs Knicks betting odds and trends for Game 2.
76ers vs Knicks 
Records: Philadelphia 76ers (48-36) vs New York Knicks (51-32)
Day/Time: Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Streaming: TNT
76ers vs Knicks Betting Trends & Game 1 Review
In each of the five games against the Knicks this NBA season, the 76ers haven’t scored more than 104 points. Meanwhile, the Knicks have gone 4-1 against the 76ers this season, including that Game 1 victory on Saturday.
With that, the Knicks have also beaten the 76ers against the spread in four of five games. Meanwhile, the under has hit in those four of five games. Except, the over was Saturday’s playoff opener. It ended a four-game streak for the under in head-to-head matchups.
No Plans To Shut Down Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid wants to be out there with the 76ers for the playoffs. But he’s certainly not 100% and has already had a few setbacks on the court.
Head coach Nick Nurse exclaimed that Embiid is a warrior and will battle in the playoffs without missing any games.
In Game 1, Embiid added an alley-oop to himself but landed funny on his leg and had to exit the game. It was thought Embiid wouldn’t return at halftime, but he did.
When he returned, the 76ers trailed the Knicks after a dreadful second half. But Embiid returned and helped the 76ers rally to get back into the game. It wasn’t enough. Embiid didn’t shoot well from the field and didn’t even have ten rebounds. But his presence changed everything for the 76ers.
That said, he’ll be available for Game 2.
Mitchell Robinson Was The Forgotten Man
Robinson has been a monster for the Knicks throughout his career. However, when he was injured earlier in the year, the first thought was that he wouldn’t return this season.
As the season progressed, Isaiah Hartenstein really came on the scene. Many fans and analysts claimed we’d never see Robinson play another game for the Knicks.
But Robinson worked his way back for the Knicks in time for the playoffs and has been tremendous defensively and on the glass. Robinson played 30 minutes in Game 1 and scored eight points with 12 rebounds. He also added four blocks and had some crucial deflections throughout the game.
He ultimately rallied the Knicks crowd and got them excited many times during Game 1. So, despite all the earlier hate, Robinson clearly proved that he belongs on this team and deserves minutes. Remember his impact when looking at the 76ers vs Knicks betting odds.
Don’t Trust Philly
The Knicks scored 126.1 points per 100 possessions against the 76ers in Game 1 of the series. The offense only shot a 48.4% effective field goal percentage but still added a solid rate of points.
That was because of the offensive rebounding. The Knicks earned 50.9% of offensive rebounds against the 76ers and got to the foul line at a very high rate. Even with New York struggling from the field, the Knicks scored at a super high rate because of their dominance on the offensive glass.
Realistically, Joel Embiid can’t compete on the glass nearly as efficiently with his knee injury. The Sixers can trust Tobias Harris to get some boards and could hope for Paul Reed to come into the game for some rebounds.
But when the Sixers start Kyle Lowry and Tyrese Maxey at the guard, they’re already so shorthanded on the glass.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have played good defense against the 76ers this season. But Saturday’s game was far from excellent. The Knicks still allowed 28.3% of offensive rebounds and allowed the 76ers to score 116.9 points per 100 possessions.
Philadelphia even shot a 51.9% effective field goal percentage, which was better than the Knicks’. The 76ers also got to the foul line at a high rate. The difference, again, was the glass. The Knicks dominated on the offensive glass and forced their way to more possessions and opportunities. Because of that, the Knicks escaped with Game 1.
In reality, effort plays have never had “bad” days. You can shoot poorly here and there—that’s normal. However, effort plays, such as rebounding and turnovers, are typically consistent.
If the Knicks have only shot an effective field goal percentage of below 50% twice in their last nine games. They’ve also responded both times with better shooting performances in their next game.
If the Knicks continue their dominance on the glass and shoot at a higher percentage from the field, they should also escape with Game 2 of this series at home.
The NBA Playoffs schedule likely didn’t thrill the Knicks. But if they can get by the 76ers, the NBA betting odds will favor the Knicks more against other opponents not named the Celtics.
If you’re looking for some picks and parlays NBA, consider the Knicks at -6 (-110). We also don’t mind the Knicks at -230 on the moneyline.
76ers vs Knicks Betting Lines
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