The Knicks and 76ers kick off their first-round series on Saturday at 6:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden. New York is the 2-seed and is favored by three points. The over/under line is 208.5, and the Knicks are -157 on the money line compared to +129 for the 76ers. ESPN is carrying this game on TV.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS VS NEW YORK KNICKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New York Knicks -3

This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 6:00 ET on Saturday, April 20th.

WHY BET THE NEW YORK KNICKS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 111-106 in favor of the Knicks.
  • Our projections have Jalen Brunson finishing with Jalen Brunson points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Knicks finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.1% and knocking down 17 threes.

Will the 76ers Make it Happen on the Road?

The 76ers are 9-point underdogs today against the Knicks. This season, they have been the underdog in 31 of their 82 games and have gone 9-22 in those games. On the road, their average scoring differential as the underdog is -5.6 points per game.

Philadelphia has won eight straight games and is currently 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47-35. Against Eastern Conference opponents, they are 31-21 compared to 16-14 in non-conference games.

The 76ers’ ATS record for the season is 49-32, and they have covered the spread in their last 10 games. On the road, their ATS record is 25-16, and they have an ATS scoring differential of +1.2 points per game.

In their most recent game, the 76ers defeated the Nets by a score of 107-86. They were favored by 12.5 points in that game and covered the spread. The O/U line for that game was 214 points.

Philadelphia’s O/U record for the season is 42-40, and 81 of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s line of 208.5. This year, their games have averaged 226.1 points per game.

Joel Embiid has been carrying the 76ers’ offense of late, averaging 33 points per game over his last three games. In these games, he hit 53.4% of his shots from the field and 3.3 threes per game. Across his last three games, he also averaged 12 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Tyrese Maxey has averaged 28.2 points per game over his last four games on 47.7% shooting. For the season, he hit 37.3% of his threes and averaged 3 makes per game.

Philadelphia leads the league in free-throw attempts this season, getting to the line 23.6 times per game. Their pace of 97.3 possessions per game is 18th in the league. Overall, they are the 14th ranked scoring offense at 114.6 points per contest. The 76ers’ scoring average is slightly higher at home than on the road.

At present, the 76ers’ defense is ranked 9th, allowing 111.5 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, 76ers are causing 11.3 turnovers per game, ranking 1st in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 6th in rejections, averaging 6 blocked shots each game.

Is It the Knicks Game to Lose at Home?

In 76ers vs. Knicks, the Knicks are favored by 3 points. This season, the Knicks have been favored in 47 of their 82 games and have a record of 36-11 in those games. As the favorite, they have won their last three games straight-up and have a scoring margin of +9.8 points per game.

New York’s ATS record as the favorite is 28-18, and they have gone 17-18 ATS as the underdog. The Knicks have also failed to cover the spread in their last two games as the favorite.

The Knicks have won five straight games overall and are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a record of 50-32. In non-conference games, they are 15-15 compared to 35-17 against the East.

In their most recent game, the Knicks defeated the Bulls by a score of 120-119. The O/U line for that game was 218.5, and the Knicks were favored by 13.5 points. This improved their season-long O/U record to 36-45-1.

This season, the Knicks have an average scoring differential of +5.9 points per game at home. Their games have averaged a combined 221 points, which is higher than today’s O/U line of 208.5.

Overall, the Knicks are the 19th-ranked scoring offense, at 112.8 points per game. However, their production at home is just 111.2 points per contest, which is 25th in the league. New York has been one of the more efficient three-point shooting teams this season, hitting 36% of their looks from beyond the arc. In terms of three-point attempts and makes, they are right around the league average.

Jalen Brunson has been carrying the Knicks offense of late, averaging 39.4 points per game in his last five games. This has come while hitting 50.7% of his shots from the field and 47.5% of his threes. Over this stretch, Donte DiVincenzo has averaged 20.6 points per game on 49.4% shooting and 4.2 made threes per game. Josh Hart has averaged 11 rebounds per game in his last five games to go along with 5.2 assists and 13.6 points.

Coming into today’s game, the Knicks’ defense is giving up an average of 108.2 points per contest. For the season, New York is ranked 25th in fewest fouls per game. Team’s are averaging 19.8 free-throws per game vs. the Knicks and have an overall field goal percentage of 47.1%.