The New York Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers for Game 1 of their NBA playoff second-round series on Monday at 8 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden. New York enters as a 7.5-point favorite amid injury concerns for both teams. SportsLine's model projects the game to go over the total of 213.5 points.
Longtime rivals New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers open their Eastern Conference semifinal series Monday night. The Knicks (53-29) advanced by defeating Atlanta in six games, marking their fourth straight appearance in this round. Philadelphia (45-37) staged a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to beat Boston in Game 7 on Saturday, securing their first series win since 2023. This marks the 11th playoff matchup between the franchises, with the Sixers leading 6-4 historically, though New York won their last meeting in 2024. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City, airing on NBC and Peacock, according to FanDuel Sportsbook odds. New York is now a 7.5-point favorite after opening at -4.5, with the over/under at 213.5 points. The Knicks money line stands at -286, while the 76ers are +231 underdogs. Joel Embiid is probable for Philadelphia despite a hip issue, while Jeremy Sochan is questionable for New York with a hamstring injury. SportsLine's Projection Model, which has simulated the game 10,000 times, predicts the over on 213.5 points, projecting a combined 218 points. The model notes that all four regular-season meetings exceeded 221 points, averaging 230, and both teams hit the over in their first-round closeouts.