Game 2 between the 76ers and Knicks takes place this Monday and the top-rated sportsbooks have released the betting odds. For your NBA best bets, I recommend investing in Philadelphia.
Also, if you’re considering placing bets on the following matchup, continue to read for a detailed analysis.
And if you’re looking for more value picks, make sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for more daily betting advice. Today, our expert has advice on the Magic vs. Cavaliers and Pacers vs. Bucks games.
NBA Best Bet: 76ers +5 (-105) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
Monday, April 22, 2024 – 07:30 PM ET at Madison Square Garden
Game 1 Recap
New York barely covered the spread in Game 1 despite 76ers star Joel Embiid struggling with a knee injury and getting scoring support primarily only from Tyrese Maxey and somewhat from Kyle Lowry.
In order to cover the spread, the Knicks needed a guy who shot 31 percent from behind the arc to have the time of his life from that spot, and they needed to dominate the offensive glass by an absurd margin.
Game 2 Expectations
In Game 2, the offensive margin disparity will not fall in the Knicks’ favor to the absurd extent that it did in Game 1. Instead, the disparity will be more representative of the season-long statistics. This means fewer second-chance points and ultimately fewer points for New York.
The non-stars will not thrive for the Knicks to the extent that they did, which allowed the team to shoot well above its average from behind the arc. Conversely, Philadelphia’s non-stars are going to step up.
Jalen Brunson’s Outlook
The simple-sounding response to my anticipations is to claim that Jalen Brunson is certain to improve in Game 2.
In Game 1, Brunson converted 8 of 26 field goal attempts, which amounts to 30.8 percent. I find that this is repeatable. Philadelphia’s defense clearly wants to take Brunson away. The 76ers also clearly have the tactics – such as with their ball-screen coverage – and the personnel to limit him.
In the regular season, Brunson struggled to be efficient in multiple tries against Philadelphia’s defense.
Brunson’s Supporting Cast
One must expect New York’s bench players to cool off.
In Game 1, Miles McBridge shot five-for-seven from deep, Bojan Bogdanovic was three-for-six from deep, Josh Hart was four-for-eight from deep, and Donte DiVincenzo was two-for-five from deep.
That is a lot of efficiency, and that collection of overachieving performances is what it took for the Knicks to barely cover the spread.
Joel Embiid’s Unrelenting Significance
Joel Embiid is too big and strong and too successful drawing fouls to fail to score much when he’s on the court against New York’s defense.
The 76ers dominated when he played even in the phases when he wasn’t scoring much. His presence opened up paths for teammate Tyrese Maxey, who is an unstoppable scorer.
On defense, he made scoring in the paint difficult for the Knicks – in this space, they shot 18-for-45 on Saturday. His paint presence spells trouble for a team that won’t be able to rely on overachieving from behind the arc again.
NBA Best Bet
This team has too much scoring talent – at least two players among Kelly Oubre Jr., Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield and Nicolas Batum will step up.
Oubre Jr. and Harris averaged over 15 points per game in the regular season. Hield is a high-volume sharpshooter who was getting his playoff feet wet. Batum has built a noticeable history of stepping up in the postseason when he was a Clipper and Trail Blazer.
Kyle Lowry, who had two double-digit efforts in the regular season against the Knicks, can come close to what he did in Game 1, plus any contribution from Cam Payne can make up for any negative difference between Lowry in Game 1 and Lowry in Game 2.
NBA Best Bet: 76ers +5 (-105) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
Calculators
