Knicks vs. Sixers NBA Expert Prediction and Odds for Game 6 of NBA Playoffs (Bet on Philly)
By Peter Dewey
This series has Game 7 written all over it, doesn’t it?
The Philadelphia 76ers sure hope so, as they pulled off a massive comeback win in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to return to Philly for Game 6 against the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
The odds for this game have Philly favored by three points – a sign that a Game 7 is in the cards – but as I noted yesterday, the series odds have the Knicks favored to close this series out in six games.
These teams split Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia earlier in the series, and New York has recently rode Jalen Brunson’s big scoring performances (39, 47, and 40 points in the last three games) to a 3-2 series lead.
After Tyrese Maxey’s heroics in Game 5, which star guard gets the edge in this matchup?
Here’s a look at the latest odds, key players to watch and my best bet for Game 6:
Knicks vs. Sixers Odds, Spread and Total
Knicks vs. Sixers How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, May 2
- Time: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Wells Fargo Center
- How to watch (TV): TNT
- Series: Knicks lead 3-2
Knicks vs. Sixers Injury Reports
Knicks Injury Report
- Julius Randle – out
- Bojan Bogdanovic – out
- Mitchell Robinson – questionable
Sixers Injury Report
- Joel Embiid – questionable
- Robert Covington – out
Knicks vs. Sixers Key Players to Watch
New York Knicks
Jalen Brunson: The Knicks aren’t going anywhere without Brunson, who scored 40 points for the second straight game in Game 5. New York’s offense runs through the All-Star guard, and he dominated in Philly earlier in the series, scoring 86 points across two games while dishing out 10 or more assists in each matchup as well.
Philadelphia 76ers
Tyrese Maxey: The only reason the Sixers are still playing is because of Maxey, who scored a team-high 46 points and dished out nine dimes in Game 5. Maxey’s heroics in the fourth quarter forced overtime, but can he replicate that performance at home? The Sixers will need him to since Joel Embiid has struggled to sustain a high level of play for entire games due to his knee injury.
Knicks vs. Sixers Prediction and Pick
All season long, the Sixers have been great as home favorites, going 22-13 against the spread, and they are 1-1 ATS in that spot this series.
New York is under .500 as a road underdog, and I’m worried about the Knicks on just one day of rest without Bojan Bogdanovic tonight – and the rest of the season – due to a foot injury.
Tom Thibodeau played just seven players on Tuesday night with Brunson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all playing over 50 minutes.
There’s no doubt that they can handle it, as all three players have played big minutes all season, but it’s certainly a concern for them to fatigue as the series goes on. New York wilted on offense late in overtime in Game 5 once Brunson didn’t have it going.
While Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey also played big minutes, the Sixers proved they could win when Embiid struggled (nine turnovers in Game 5 despite a triple-double) on Tuesday.
I can’t imagine the Philly crowd failing to show up again on Thursday with a chance to force a winner-take-all Game 7.
Given the Knicks’ lack of offense in recent games after Brunson, I think the Sixers can pull out a win and cover on Thursday.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.