The 76ers appear to be tied to a track, and the Knicks’ train is barreling towards them.
While Knicks fans go wild in the streets, Philadelphia was making excuses in the sheets, claiming they were fatigued after a lengthy seven-game series with the Celtics.
The sluggish start for Nick Nurse’s group led to a lopsided 137-98 defeat to the Knicks, who have won their past four games by a combined 135 points.
The Knicks are rolling right now, we all know that, but some money has come in on the 76ers after the line moved from 7.5 to 6.5, which is where it’s steadied through the day on Tuesday.
Game 1’s line closed at 7.5, which the Knicks obviously blew past. We’d expect a better performance from Philadelphia in Game 2, but how much better is the question.
While Joel Embiid has looked a bit hobbled, I suspect the fresh-legged Tyrese Maxey takes more control in this one.
Maxey’s point projection comes in at a paltry 23.5, but I think that’s a bit too low given his past success.
Maxey has cleared 30 points in six of his last nine games against the Knicks and three games in the last series.
You can snag over 29.5 points at +260 on BetMGM or hit the over 23.5 (-125, BetMGM) if you’re more risk-averse.
As for the game itself, I think the 76ers will be able to put up a better effort, but Philadelphia’s team is asking a lot of its older players.
Relying on Embiid to play significant minutes against a Knicks team that is highly physical and will wear him down over a seven-game series isn’t a fair expectation.
Betting on the NBA?
The same can be said for Paul George, who actually had a solid performance in Game 1, but played at least 40 minutes in four of the last five games against the Celtics.
I still lean Knicks -6.5 and would be willing to bet it at -7.
THE PLAY: Maxey over 29.5 points (+260, BetMGM) | Knicks -6.5 (-125, Kalshi)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
