Knicks vs. 76ers Odds
| Knicks Odds | +6.5 |
| 76ers Odds | -6.5 |
| Over/Under | 223 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBA League Pass |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
The Knicks‘ season may be turning back around here, and a big test will come on Friday night in Philly when they take on a divisional rival.
The 76ers have just hit a little bit of a wall with three losses in their last four, and now they’re in the midst of swapping out a strong wing defender for a younger, more offensive-minded talent.
Let’s break down what we can expect out of this fun contest in our Knicks vs. 76ers preview and predictions.
New York Knicks
The Knicks have now won three of their four entering play on Friday, and on two of those occasions were the underdog. That’s where they find themselves in this matchup with Philly, but it’s not unfamiliar territory.
The Knicks were able to take out the Sixers at home as 4.5-point underdogs almost a week ago now, getting a big 24 points out of Julius Randle and an even-bigger 37 points from their bench. Their second unit now ranks fourth in the NBA in Net Rating, well ahead of Philly in 14th. It wasn’t just the bench that lifted the Knicks to victory, though; they were able to out-rebound the Sixers 49-44 and out-score them in the paint 42-36.
That is a big deal because the Knicks have really struggled in those areas following the injury to Mitchell Robinson. This is the fourth-ranked rebounding team in the NBA for the season, but over the last 10 games New York ranks just 14th. This is what happens when you play one of the worst rebounding units in basketball, though.
So, the battle down low will certainly be one worth watching here. Another will be how stunning this team has been away from Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have seen their defensive production increase on the road, and as a result they’ve gone 18-9 against the spread in those games and are 11-7 ATS as road underdogs.
Philadelphia 76ers
This will be a case of the unstoppable force meting the immovable object. The Knicks are fantastic on the road, but the Sixers are even-better at home, going 17-10-1 ATS at the Wells Fargo Center. They’re a slightly-less impressive 13-10-1 ATS as home favorites, but you’ll still happily take a 56.5% cover rate.
There is some slight turnover to be expected here with the Sixers after Thursday’s trade deadline, but nothing too wild. Matisse Thybulle is on his way to Portland, and while that may sound like a big deal given his role with this team in previous years, his minutes had been on the decline in 2023. The bigger story is about who the Sixers got back in Jalen McDaniels, but we likely won’t see him until Philly’s next game.
The thing to watch here, as always, is the status of Joel Embiid. He’s once again listed as questionable with left foot soreness, but with that being said he’s only missed one game since January 8th. He’d obviously be a huge loss given what we’ve laid out about the already lopsided nature of the battle on the boards, and considering he put up 31 points and 14 rebounds the last time these two teams met.
Knicks-76ers Pick
The Sixers rank 21st in Defensive Rating over the last 10 games and will run into a resurgent Knicks offense which ranks 12th and which has been getting a wealth of contributions from their rotation of young guards. They’ve also managed to recover from their stumble in the immediate aftermath of the injury to Robinson, ranking seventh on the glass in the last five contests.
New York’s second unit should get the better of Philly’s here and its frontcourt should be able to snatch away some extra possessions on the glass. The Knicks also have one of the better marks in the game inside of six feet, allowing a 62.6% defended field goal percentage which puts them just outside the top 10.
This has long been a team designed well to beat the Sixers, and I think they have a fair shot given how well they’ve performed away from home. With Embiid’s status just the slightest bit in question, too, I feel good about taking the points but would stop at +4.5.
Pick: Knicks +6.5 — Down to +4.5 |
