Sixers vs. Knicks Opening Series Odds, Prediction and Pick (Knicks Undervalued in Market?)

The No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup in the Eastern Conference is set after the Philadelphia 76ers advanced through the play-in tournament on Wednesday night.

They’ll take on the East’s No. 2 seed, the New York Knicks, in the first round with the odds… favoring Philly.

That’s right, Vegas doesn’t have much confidence in the Knicks, who won’t have Julius Randle the rest of the season, to stop Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and company in the first round. 

Sixers vs. Knicks Series Odds

• Philadelphia 76ers: -115
• New York Knicks: -105

New York was a +105 underdog after the 76ers defeated the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament on Wednesday night, but the odds have shifted a little towards New York, but the team is still a dog to the Sixers (-115 to win the series). 

Not only is Philly favored in this series, but the Sixers also have better odds to win the Eastern Conference than any team other than the Boston Celtics. New York is +1200 to win the Eastern Conference. Philly, on the other hand, is +700. 

Sixers vs. Knicks Series Correct Score

• Sixers in 6: +310
• Knicks in 7: +360
• Sixers in 7: +550
• Knicks in 5: +600
• Knicks in 6: +650
• Sixers in 5: +700
• Sixers in 4: +1000
• Knicks in 4: +1400

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Sixers vs. Knicks Series Prediction and Pick

I have to say, the Knicks are undervalued in this series, and it’s a very similar story to last season.

New York was an underdog as the No. 5 seed against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it ended up easily winning the series in five games – even with Julius Randle banged up. 

This time around, New York is the No. 2 seed and doesn’t have Randle, and oddsmakers are paying it no respect. 

That’s despite the fact the Knicks went 3-1 against Philly in the regular season (1-0 when Joel Embiid played) and held the Sixers under 100 points in each of those matchups, including two games where they held them under 80 points. 

Embiid scored 30 points in his lone meeting against the Knicks, but he shot just 10-for-23 from the field and was a minus-29 in 36 minutes. New York won that game 128-92. Oh, and by the way, Mitchell Robinson (ankle) was not available for that matchup.

Now, the Knicks have Robinson and OG Anunoby healthy (New York is 2-0 against Philly when Anunoby plays and 20-3 overall when he suits up this season), giving the team a chance to compete with the Sixers and the reigning league MVP. 

Guarding Embiid is a tough task (there's a reason why Philly is 32-8 when he plays), but the Knicks have multiple players in Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein (who gave Embiid fits back in January) to at least make things tough on him. 

New York was dead last in the NBA in pace this season (Philly clocked in at No. 18), but it was a better shooting team (16th in effective field goal percentage) than the Sixers (24th in eFG%). Plus, New York finished the season with a top-five net rating and top-10 defensive rating. 

Ultimately, this series could come down to the stars, and Embiid admitted yesterday that he's around 70-80 percent after tweaking his injured knee at the end of the regular season. New York is going to play a physical brand of basketball that could wear Embiid down over a seven-game series, and it has the home-court advantage.

Jalen Brunson, on the other hand, closed out the 2023-24 regular season strong, putting up 37.8 points per game over his last 10 matchups. 

Embiid is a great player, but he looked far from 100 percent on Wednesday night, shooting 6-for-17 from the field while scoring 23 points. 

That tells me that New York could expose him on both ends, and throughout seven games, the Sixers are asking a lot from him. 

Give me the Knicks to win this series. 

Pick: Knicks, Knicks in 6 (+650)

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.