The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off the biggest upset of the first round, eliminating the Celtics after trailing the series 3-1.
Unfortunately for Philly, that series wasn’t the NBA Finals, and they looked extremely sluggish in their 39-point Game 1 defeat against the New York Knicks.
New York can maintain control of the series with another home victory on Wednesday night, and if the Sixers play anywhere close to the level they did on Monday, the hosts should win big yet again.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 35 points in just 31 minutes on the court, but he wasn’t the only threat for the Knicks, as New York’s starters combined for 95 points on 66.7% shooting!
Let’s dive into Game 2 between Philadelphia and New York and weigh in on whether Philly can get back in this series.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 betting picks and predictions
Philadelphia 76ers +10.5 (-110)
The New York Knicks are absolutely rolling right now. Since losing Games 2 and 3 in the first round against the Hawks by a single point each time, they’ve rattled off four consecutive wins by an average of 33.4 points.
There isn’t a team playing better basketball in the Eastern Conference, and they’ve scored 114 or more during this four-game win streak.
The last time Philly has won a game where they’ve allowed 114+ points was on April 1st against the Washington Wizards. If they want to even the series, they’ll need to tighten up on the defensive side of the ball, and we expect them to do exactly that on Wednesday.
We discussed how New York’s starters were red-hot in Game 1, but that momentum carried to the bench too. As a team, New York shot 63% from the floor and 51% from three, and they absolutely dominated the game in terms of physicality.
The Knicks outscored the Sixers 58 to 32 in the paint and outrebounded them 39-28. Things could not have gone better for New York, but we can’t see them continuing to dominate game after game.
The Sixers were blown out by the Celtics in Games 1 (123-91) and 4 (128-96), but they followed those losses up with two road wins by 14 and 16. Joel Embiid was held to 14 points and 4 rebounds, while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George combined for just 30 points.
Monday’s result wasn’t too big of a surprise considering the Sixers had just beaten Boston in Game 7 on Saturday and New York had the rest advantage.
Philly are still 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games, and we expect their record to improve to 6-2 on Wednesday.
Over 215.5 Total Points (-110)
Now, the key for Philly in this game will be to turn it into a defensive slug fest, but this number is still too low for two efficient offenses.
Game 1 ended with 235 points, marking it the fifth time these two teams have met and combined for 215+ points this season.
New York is shooting 40.2% from three during the postseason, and even if they regress and shoot 35% from three, they should still finish with 105-110 points.
On the flip side, the Sixers are due to improve after an absolutely dismal shooting night in Game 1.
Embiid and Maxey shot just 30% from the floor in Game 1, combining for 27 points. However, 15 of them came from the free-throw line, so they scored just 12 points from the floor after averaging 26.9 and 28.3 points per game in the regular season.
Four of the Knicks’ previous five games have cashed the Over, and it has also won in four of New York’s last six contests when they’re the favorite. Expect both trends to continue, and back Over 215 Total Points.
Tyrese Maxey Over 24.5 Points (-120)
Maxey scored just 13 points in Game 1 on Monday night, marking the fewest points he’s scored in a game since January 26th!
When Maxey has scored fewer than 15 points this season, he’s bounced back in a big way. The Kentucky product has scored 14 or less seven times this season, and he’s followed those games up by scoring 25.4 points per contest on average.
Maxey averaged 26.8 PPG in the first-round against the Celtics, and it’s only a matter of time before he explodes against New York. Although the Knicks did a good job defending the crafty guard in the opener, he should have his way and score 25+ in Game 2.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the NBA on site.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 odds
Philadelphia 76ers | +240 |
New York Knicks | -300 |
Spread | NY Knicks -7.5 |
Total Points | O/U 215.5 |
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 player props
Player Points
Joel Embiid (PHI 76ers) | O/U 27.5 |
Jalen Brunson (NY Knicks) | O/U 26.5 |
Tyrese Maxey (PHI 76ers) | O/U 24.5 |
Karl-Anthony Towns (NY Knicks) | O/U 18.5 |
OG Anunoby (NY Knicks) | O/U 17.5 |
Paul George (PHI 76ers) | O/U 14.5 |
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 team news
Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is listed as day-to-day with an ankle injury heading into Game 2, but he had the same injury tag before Game 1 and played. He should take to the court.
New York Knicks
New York has no one listed on their injury report, so they should be 100% for Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.
Read the latest NBA news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
