New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 20/04/2024, 02:41  by Kennedy Kechula | Modified on 20/04/2024 at 10:00 in NBA Prediction

The New York Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers for Game One of the two sides' first-round NBA playoff series. New York finished the regular season second in the Eastern Conference while the Sixers earned the seventh seed. The Knicks have been in red-hot form and arrive for this match having won five successive matches. Of the five wins, two came against the number one and third seeds in the East. Coupled with a dominant run against the Sixers this season, the hosts will be confident of a win here. The Knicks defeated the Sixers three times in their four regular season matchups. Their last win over their soon-to-be visitors was slightly over a month ago at home and it was a dominant 27-point victory. The Knicks defeated the Bulls 120-119 to conclude the regular season with a 50-32 record. It was the first time they had won 50 games in the regular season in over a decade. Julius Randle will miss the post-season due to injury. The Knicks have averaged 112.8 points while allowing just 108.2 which is the third-best record.

The Sixers arrive for this game in even better form than the Knicks. They have won nine games in a row and four have come against playoff teams. This impeccable streak coincided with the return to fitness for reigning league MVP Joel Embiid. The Centre had missed two months of action with a knee injury before returning at the start of April. Philly defeated the Heat 105-104 at home in the play-in to secure the seventh seed. Nicolas Batum was a spark for the team in the game and scored 20 points with 17 coming in the final two quarters. The Sixers finished the regular season with a 47-35 record and registered 31 of those wins against fellow East teams. One of those victories was a 79-73 success in New York back in March. Robert Covington and De’Anthony Melton have missed considerable game time this season and are likely to not be involved here. The Sixers have averaged 114.6 points and have allowed 111.5 which is the ninth-best defensive record.