The New York Knicks are significant betting favorites to beat the Philadelphia 76ers and reach the Eastern Conference Finals for a second consecutive year.
The Knicks open the series as -260 favorites, while the 76ers are +215 underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook. A line of -260 translates to a 72.2% implied probability that the Knicks will defeat their Atlantic Division rivals in the NBA playoffs.
Both teams enter the series in red-hot form. While the Knicks decimated the Atlanta Hawks by an average margin of 32.0 points in the final three games of the first round, the 76ers overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Celtics, including three straight road wins.
As such, both teams are on three-game winning streaks ahead of Monday’s Game 1.
Knicks vs 76ers Predictions
The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, Fred Katz, Jay King and Tony Jones are all picking Mike Brown’s Knicks to beat the 76ers in the second round of the NBA playoffs.
“Knicks in 6,” wrote Edwards, while highlighting the signifiance of the Karl-Anthony Towns vs Joel Embiid matchup.
“…I just don’t trust Philadelphia to be healthy for an entire series, though. New York has the wings to disrupt George, Grimes and others. I also think this will be a more favorable series for Brunson than the last one. It’ll come down to the Towns-Embiid matchup and if Bridges can hold Maxey in check.”
“Knicks in 6,” wrote Katz, while explaining why the Knicks’ elite defensive play in recent months is an easier bet over the 76ers’ inconsistency.
“…The Knicks don’t employ an ideal Maxey defender, but the Sixers also don’t have a top-notch Brunson stopper,” he wrote.
“Kelly Oubre has done a good job on Brunson historically, but during that playoff series a couple of years ago, the All-NBA point guard had him figured out by Game 3. I think New York’s two-way play could be too overwhelming.”
Knicks NBA Finals Odds
Meanwhile, King trusts Knicks captain Jalen Brunson over blossoming 76ers star Tyrese Maxey at this stage of their careers.
“Brunson will be the difference,” he wrote.
Jones feels that, in Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks have the perfect secondary defender to pose problems for Joel Embiid.
“There are a couple of things at play here that can tilt things toward New York,” he wrote., “Robinson is a great defender, an even better rebounder and a good rim protector, and he is capable of providing questions the Sixers can’t answer.
“Secondly, the Sixers may struggle defending Brunson.”
With the Boston Celtics getting eliminated by the Sixers, the Knicks have now also emerged as the new betting favorites (+120) to reach the NBA Finals. The Knicks last made the NBA Finals in 2000 when they lost to Tim Duncan’s San Antonio Spurs.
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