76ers vs. Knicks: Betting Preview, Series Odds

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The Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) meet the New York Knicks (50-32) in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

New York took three of four regular season meetings from their Eastern Conference rivals, all by double-digits. The Knicks own home-court advantage as the 2 seed, with Game 1 tipping off Saturday, April 20th from Madison Square Garden.

Let's dive into the NBA odds on FanDuel Sportsbook and preview this 76ers-Knicks series.

All NBA odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NBA Playoffs Betting

76ers vs. Knicks Betting Odds: Moneyline, Total Games, and Correct Score

Series Moneyline:
- New York Knicks: -110
- Philadelphia 76ers: -110
Total Games:
- 4 (+490)
- 5 (+240)
- 6 (+185)
- 7 (+230)
Series Correct Score:
- Knicks 4-0 (+1200)
- Knicks 4-1 (+550)
- Knicks 4-2 (+700)
- Knicks 4-3 (+470)
- 76ers 4-0 (+850)
- 76ers 4-1 (+600)
- 76ers 4-2 (+330)
- 76ers 4-3 (+650)
Correct Score After Three Games:
- Knicks 3-0 (+550)
- Knicks 2-1 (+140)
- 76ers 3-0 (+650)
- 76ers 2-1 (+140)
Series Spread:
- Knicks +1.5 (-152)
- 76ers -1.5 (+124)

76ers vs. Knicks Advanced Stats Breakdown

nERD via numberFire. Adjusted offensive/defensive ratings, pace, and shot distribution via DunksAndThrees.

Philadelphia 76ers:
- nERD: 58.8 (T-10th)
- Adjusted Offensive Rating: 116.0 (14th)
- Adjusted Defensive Rating: 113.6 (11th)
- Pace: 98.1 (18th)
- Against-the-Spread Record: 48-33-1
- Shot Distribution and Efficiency:
  - Rim: 35.6% (9th) - 60.3% (27th)
  - Mid: 27.1% (21st) - 42.2% (16th)
  - 3PT: 37.3% (23rd) - 36.3% (18th)
New York Knicks:
- nERD: 61.3 (7th)
- Adjusted Offensive Rating: 117.4 (8th)
- Adjusted Defensive Rating: 112.8 (8th)
- Pace: 95.7 (30th)
- Against-the-Spread Record: 44-37-1
- Shot Distribution and Efficiency:
  - Rim: 32.7% (23rd) - 60.3% (26th)
  - Mid: 27.0% (20th) - 44.4% (13th)
  - 3PT: 40.4% (11th) - 36.9% (14th)

76ers vs. Knicks Analysis

In terms of adjusted net rating (aNET), these are two of the 10 best teams in the NBA. New York's +4.6 aNET ranks fifth while Philly's +2.4 aNET is 10th.

That's reflected in their title odds. The 76ers have the seventh-shortest odds to win the NBA Championship (+2000) while the Knicks have the 11th-shortest (+3000).

While both sides are relative longshots to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June, they're set up for a tightly contested series in the first round. The Knicks took three of the four regular season meetings, though reigning MVP Joel Embiid was healthy for only one game. Embiid is 16-3 against the Knicks in his career.

76ers

After defeating the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament, the 76ers are set to make their seventh consecutive playoff appearance. They've advanced past the opening round and lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals in five of the last six years.

Still, let's be clear -- a healthy Sixers squad is one of the best teams in the NBA.

They're 31-8 and have a +10.5 raw net rating with Embiid in the lineup this season, marks that would rank first and second, respectively, if extrapolated over the full season. They have a 122.4 offensive rating and 111.9 defensive rating with Embiid. For context, the Boston Celtics lead the league with a 122.2 offensive rating, and the New Orleans Pelicans rank sixth with a 111.9 defensive rating.

Offensively, the Sixers are, of course, led by the aforementioned Embiid. Though he was limited to 39 games, Embiid somehow managed to build on last year's MVP season. He averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game and shot a career-high 38.8% from three.

But with Embiid sidelined for a good chunk of the year, Tyrese Maxey developed into one of the East's top guards. He finished the year averaging 25.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. Tobias Harris chipped in 17.2 points, Kelly Oubre notched 15.4, and mid-season acquisition Buddy Hield contributed 12.2.

We can't forget about Kyle Lowry and Nicolas Batum, either. Despite mild regular season numbers, the two played 28 and 29 minutes, respectively, in the play-in game. Batum nailed six threes en route to 20 points while Lowry made several game-changing plays down the stretch.

When healthy this year, the Sixers looked like a formidable challenger to the first-place Celtics. Though Embiid has returned from injury, he shot just 6 of 17 against Miami and finished with team-worst -2 plus/minus. He's been held under 25 points per game with a sub-50% field goal percentage in each of the last two postseasons, so it remains to been seen how he holds up against a physical Knicks defense.

If Embiid stays healthy and can operate at close to 100%, the 76ers could be a strong value at -110 to win the series. But that's a big if.

Knicks

When Julius Randle went down with a season-ending injury, the Knicks were 29-17 and in fourth place in the East.

They responded by going 21-15 down the stretch, ranking 12th with a +3.8 net rating and securing the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed.

With Randle out, the Knicks have turned into the slowest-paced team in the NBA. I'd never describe Tom Thibodeau teams as fast, but this brand of New York basketball has been historically slow. They averaged 93.5 possessions over their final 36 games -- 2.34 fewer than the next-slowest team over that span. That's bigger than the difference between the second- and 15th-slowest team.

It's hard to argue with the results.

Over those final 36 games, New York ranked third in rebound rate and third in second-chance points. They held opponents to the fourth-fewest points in the paint over that span, ranking fourth in scoring defense. That came despite OG Anunoby appearing in just nine of the Knicks' final 36 games -- though that didn't stop him from tying Rudy Gobert for the league-lead in defensive wins shared.

Offensively, Jalen Brunson posted a 35.5% usage rate and averaged 31.5 points per game over that stretch. He was highly efficient despite the heavy usage, shooting 47.9% from the floor, 37% from three, and 86.1% from the line.

Among Knicks players who will take part in this series, only Donte DiVincenzo (22.6% USG%; 21.0 points per game) had both a usage rate north of 20% and averaged more than 20 minutes per game.

Despite gaudy offensive totals from those two, Josh Hart was the catalyst in New York's final three games against Philly. He averaged 15.7 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists across those three outings, notably racking up a triple-double in the most recent meeting.

Of course, bigs Isaiah Hartenstein (9.5 points; 8.2 rebounds) and Precious Achiuwa (9.0; 7.9) were key factors after Randle went down. They got reinforcements down the stretch via the return of Mitchell Robinson, too. Though he exceeded 20 minutes just once in 10 games upon returning, Robinson was a force in last year's first-round win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those three will play a key role in slowing down Embiid.

The Knicks certainly have the defense to cause Philly problems and gut out a series win. After New York won five straight to close out the year, a rested Knicks squad with home-court advantage is a force to be reckoned with and makes for an intriguing option at -110 to win the series, especially if Embiid is not 100%.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.