Things have gone from bad to worse for the Philadelphia 76ers with their season now fully off the rails. They will take on the New York Knicks tonight with this matchup not carrying the usual vitriol for Tyrese Maxey’s squad.
Despite entering the year with playoff aspirations, Philadelphia holds a record of just 20-37 and is in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Even if they were to win every single remaining game, they would finish with the worst record in the Joel Embiid era. Following the latest injury news regarding the Sixers’ star, priorities have already shifted to maximizing the team’s lottery odds and fixing problems in the upcoming offseason. Regardless, the action will continue on the floor. Tyrese Maxey will suit up with whatever healthy bodies are set to join him.
The Knicks enter this matchup as 10-point favorites and are -455 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Sixers hold +350 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at 231.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Tyrese Maxey prop bets ahead of the Wednesday night matchup.
Best Tyrese Maxey Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Tyrese Maxey’s props are listed at over/under 28.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.5 made three-pointers and 37.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Tyrese Maxey Under 28.5 Points (-120)
The Philadelphia 76ers are limited in offensive creators and both teams will be well aware of this. With Paul George’s disappointing 12.8 points per game in February not providing enough relief, Maxey has been forced to shoulder the offensive load far more than was designed to be the case. Teams have countered this by throwing two and three bodies at the All-Star guard and forcing anyone else to beat them. Expect this type of game plan from this Knicks team.
Overall, Maxey is averaging 27.1 points per game this season and has been held under 28.5 points in 25 of the 49 games he has played. He also has been held to 16 or fewer points in three of his past four games. Maxey dropped 33 points against the Knicks in the lone matchup he has played this year, but it took 45:36 minutes and 32 field goal attempts for him to get there. With expectations having shifted from that January matchup, expect less of an all-out approach from this Sixers team.
New York has not been as convincing of a defense as expected, ranking 14th in opponent points per game and 25th in opponent field goal percentage. But they are plenty familiar with Maxey’s abilities from last year’s playoff battle and will be prioritizing keeping him under wraps. Blowouts are a possibility on an every night basis for the Sixers and expect the team to show a quick trigger on getting Maxey off the floor if the game gets out of reach. This was the case in Monday’s 32-point loss to the Bulls in which Maxey did not see the floor in the fourth quarter and finished with just 13 points.
Expect the full attention of the Knicks defense to be on stopping Maxey with the limitations of the rest of the Sixers’ roster in mind. The Kentucky product will still have his flashes, but the 28.5-point prop is too high based on how games have been going and his recent stretch of play.
Tyrese Maxey Over 3.5 Rebounds (+135)
One area where Maxey can make an impact is on the boards. The Sixers will be without two of their top rebounders, as Joel Embiid and Guerschon Yabusele will sit due to injury, and this has been an area of weakness for the Sixers even with their full personnel on the floor. Philadelphia ranks dead-last in rebounding as a team, while New York is 24th in this category.
So far this season Maxey is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game and has recorded over 3.5 rebounds in 21 games. This includes the first matchup with the Knicks in which Maxey hauled in six rebounds. He also has recorded over 3.5 rebounds in three of his past five games even with the limited minutes in some of these matchups.
Rebounding is a clear area where tonight’s game can get out of hand and expect an all-hands-on-deck approach from Philadelphia. While the goals for this season are likely off the table, Nick Nurse is still coaching for his job and plenty of other players are playing for their NBA future. Don’t expect them to just roll over with so much of the season left.
Maxey is a better rebounder for his size than most expect and has secured double-digit rebounds twice this season. Look for him to make his imprint on this game somehow and play a role in competing with Josh Hart for rebounds. Getting +135 odds for Maxey to tally four or more rebounds is solid value and worth taking a chance on in what should have been a highly anticipated rivalry game.
