Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Game 2: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round

The New York Knicks will try to add another win in the series against the Philadelphia 76ers when the two teams meet tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Is Joel Embiid healthy?

The Philadelphia 76ers had a rough season and barely made it to the playoffs, beating the Miami Heat 105-104 in the play-in tournament. They got Joel Embiid back just in time for the playoffs, but after watching the first game of the series, we all wonder whether the reigning MVP is 100% ready for the challenge. He did score 29 points in 37 minutes, but it was obvious that he was avoiding every unnecessary contact. Tyrese Maxey had a great game, dropping 33 points in 14 of 26 shots from the field, but the Sixers bench scored only seven points.

The Knicks look dangerous

The New York Knicks finished second in the Eastern Conference, and they have high hopes for the playoffs. It’s been a while since they had the home-court advantage in the playoffs, and they took full advantage of it in the opening game of the series against the Sixers winning 111-104. Jalen Brunson was not on his level, shooting only 8 of 26 from the field and scoring 22 points. Josh Hart did an amazing job, dropping 22 points with 13 rebounds. The top story of Game 1 was Miles McBride, who added a career-high 21 points off the bench.

Betting Trends

The Sixers are 1-4 ATS in the last five games against the Knicks. They are 10-2 ATS in the last 12 games overall, 5-1 ATS in the last six road games, and 3-7 ATS in the last ten games against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Knicks are 4-2 ATS in their last six games overall, 7-3 ATS in the last ten games played on Monday and 6-2 ATS in the last eight home games played on Monday.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Sixers had a better start to Game 1, but the Knicks quickly regrouped and took over the lead. They had control by the end of the match and proved that they are for real this season. Joel Embiid tried to keep his team close, but it seemed like he was not in the necessary shape to be a problem for the Knicks. New York was all fired up, with role players making the difference. The Knicks’ bench outscored the Sixers’ 42-7. An even more interesting fact is that the Knicks won Game 1 while shooting only 39.6% from the field, and Jalen Brunson was 8 of 26. The Knicks will pick up their game even more and will win another one by covering the -4.5-point spread.