The Philadelphia 76ers travel to take on the the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in one of the marquee NBA matchups on Tuesday. Philadelphia is 2-1 this season, including a road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the team’s last contest, and the Sixers continue to operate without star Ben Simmons as his long-term future in Philly is in question. Joel Embiid (knee) and Andre Drummond (ankle) are listed as questionable for the Sixers. New York is also 2-1, though the Knicks lost to the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in New York. Caesars Sportsbook lists New York as a one-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 217.5 in the latest 76ers vs. Knicks odds. Before entering any Knicks vs. Sixers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned almost $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 103-68 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Sixers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Sixers vs. Knicks:
- 76ers vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -1
- 76ers vs. Knicks over-under: 217.5 points
- 76ers vs. Knicks money line: Knicks -120, 76ers +100
- Philadelphia: The 76ers are 21-20-2 against the spread in the last 43 road games
- New York: The Knicks are 25-16 against the spread in the last 41 home games
Featured Game | New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Why the 76ers can cover
Philadelphia has the best player on the floor in Embiid, assuming he’s able to play. The talented center averaged 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game as one of the best players in the NBA on a per-minute basis last season, and Philadelphia put together an above-average offense in 2020-21, scoring 112.5 points per 100 possessions. This season, the 76ers are posting a 59.5 percent true shooting mark while turning the ball over on fewer than 12 percent of possessions, and Philadelphia’s net rating (+9.2 points per 100 possessions) is elite.
Defensively, the 76ers have always been very strong in their current construction, including the No. 2 defensive rating (1.07 points per possession) in the NBA last season. Philadelphia ranked in the top two in steals, blocks, and turnovers created, with top-five marks in field-goal percentage allowed, 2-point percentage allowed, assists allowed and second-chance points allowed during the 2020-21 NBA season.
Why the Knicks can cover
New York’s defense is elite, dating back to last season. The Knicks led the NBA in both field-goal percentage allowed (44 percent) and 3-point percentage allowed (33.7 percent) a season ago, ranking in the top five in overall defensive rating. New York is well-coached under Tom Thibodeau, ranking near the top of the NBA in assists allowed (23.6 per game), fast-break points allowed (10.5 per game) and points in the paint allowed (43.8 per game) a season ago.
This year, the Knicks are limiting opponents to 104.9 points per 100 possessions, an elite figure, and New York is also playing better basketball offensively. The Knicks are assisting on 61.4 percent of their field goals through three games, with only a 12.9 percent turnover rate to boot. Julius Randle has emerged as a legitimate star after averaging 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game last season, and the Knicks have increased firepower after myriad offseason transactions.
How to make Sixers vs. Knicks picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. It also has generated a spread pick that hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Knicks vs. 76ers?? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread to back, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
