NY Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction 4-20-24 Picks

The Philadelphia 76ers invade Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 on Saturday night. Here’s a 76ers vs Knicks prediction.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming in this series with plenty of momentum as they capped off their regular season with eight straight wins before they kept the streak alive with a gritty 105-104 win over the Heat on Wednesday. Joel Embiid led the team with 23 points, 15 rebounds and five assists, Nicolas Batum drained six 3-pointers to finish with 20 points off the bench while Tyrese Maxey chipped in with 19 points and six assists. As a team, the 76ers shot just 41 percent from the field and 12 of 35 from the 3-point line as they struggled to find their offense early and scored just 17 points in the second quarter to fall behind by 14 points. However, the 76ers chipped away at the deficit and made their move with 36 points in the fourth quarter to come away with the important win.

New York Knicks

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are also coming into this series with some solid momentum as they reeled off five straight wins and capped off their regular season with a 120-119 overtime win over the Bulls on Sunday. Jalen Brunson led the team with 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on 14 of 30 shooting, Donte DiVincenzo added 25 points on 10 of 21 shooting while Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with eight points, 13 rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Knicks shot 50 percent from the field and 12 of 32 from the 3-point line as they clawed their way back from an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime where they held onto a narrow lead to escape with the gritty win at home.

New York Knicks Team Facts

• The Knicks have won each of their last 15 games as favorites when playing with a rest advantage.
• The Knicks have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine home games following a win.
• Each of the Knicks’ last 11 Eastern Conference First Round home games have gone UNDER the total points line.

Philadelphia 76ers Team Facts

• The 76ers have won each of their last nine games.
• The 76ers have covered the spread in 10 of their last 11 games.
• Each of the 76ers’ last nine night games against the Knicks following a home win have gone UNDER the total points line.

76ers vs Knicks prediction

The 76ers are still shorthanded to start this series as De’Anthony Melton is still out and Joel Embiid is listed as questionable, while the Knicks are still without Duane Washington Jr and Julius Randle. This is definitely one of those Game where you want to check the lineups before tipoff given the injury cloud hanging over the 76ers’ Embiid, but as it stands, the Knicks are slight favorites at home. You could make an argument for either side here, but I think this series goes long, and I expect we’ll see it start with a gritty Knicks win at home.