It is a loaded night of NBA action with 14 games tipping off across tonight’s slate. Headlining the slate, the New York Knicks will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers in an Eastern Conference clash.
The 76ers picked up wins in the first two games between these two teams, but the Knicks tallied a 112-109 come-from-behind win in the previous matchup. Philadelphia extended the lead to as many as 17 and led for 71% of the game, but ran out of gas in the second half. New York is playing the second half of a back-to-back tonight after losing to the Pacers in overtime last night. In contrast, the 76ers are returning from a five-game West Coast trip for tonight’s matchup.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Sixers enter this matchup as narrow 2.5-point favorites and hold -135 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Knicks hold +114 odds of getting the outright upset, with the game total set at 224.5.
You can check out the game prediction and breakdown on DraftKings Network here, but let’s dive into my three favorite player prop bets for the Knicks vs. Sixers Wednesday Night matchup.
Warriors vs. 76ers Best Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kelly Oubre Jr. Over 19.5 Points & Rebounds (-127)
The Philadelphia 76ers received some unfortunate news roughly two weeks ago that Paul George received a 25-game suspension for a violation of the NBA’s drug policy. The nine-time All-Star had quietly found his stride in Philadelphia, posting averages of 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. His absence leaves some massive responsibility to fill, with Kelly Oubre Jr. being the biggest beneficiary.
Oubre Jr. has also found his role on this Sixers team, posting averages of 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds across his 31 games played. He is shooting a career-best 37.9% from beyond the three-point arc and has further seen his role grow without George. Across the six games that George has missed due to this recent suspension, Oubre Jr. is averaging 15.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He has tallied over 19.5 combined points and rebounds in four of these six games and in 15 of his 31 games played overall. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in the lone matchup he has been available for against the Knicks this season.
Even with OG Anunoby ruled out tonight due to injury, Oubre Jr. is now the Sixers lone two-way wing and will need to match up with Mikal Bridges tonight. Oubre Jr. is third on the Sixers in minutes, trailing only Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, and will see plenty of opportunity on the court. Count on him continuing to see a more significant role in the offense with George sidelined and still doing his part in competing on the boards. The 19.5 point line is too low, especially given the context of this Sixers’ roster and matchup. Count on Oubre Jr. recording over 19.5 combined points and rebounds for the fifth time in his first seven games without George, and to fill his increased role on this Sixers’ team.
Mitchell Robinson Over 8.5 Rebounds (-125)
Expect fatigue to be a factor tonight with the Knicks playing on the second night of a back-to-back after losing to the Pacers in overtime last night. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges each logged 41+ minutes, while Karl-Anthony Towns played 32 minutes before fouling out, and Landry Shamet clocked 38 minutes. One guy who was not available for this overtime matchup was Mitchell Robinson.
New York has kept Robinson on a strict load management plan all season, with back-to-backs being a part of this. The Knicks preserved Robinson for tonight’s matchup, where he has a clear path to dominating. On the season, Robinson is averaging 4.8 points and 8.9 rebounds across his 19.8 minutes per game. The 27-year-old is producing a wild 16.3 rebounds per 36 minutes and has a friendly matchup against a Sixers team that can struggle to rebound the basketball. On the year, Philadelphia ranks 19th in rebounds per game and 17th in opponents’ rebounds allowed. They are also 24th in offensive rebounds allowed.
Robinson is a dominant force on the offensive glass, pulling in 4.6 rebounds per game. He has tallied over 8.5 boards in 20 of the 38 games played, including two of the three games against the 76ers. Robinson produced a season-high 16 rebounds in the December 19th matchup with the 76ers. While Joel Embiid’s return to form has been impressive, he still holds a lack of verticality, and his rebounding ability is still a notable hole in his game in contrast to his peak form. Expect New York to lean on Robinson at a greater rate with so much wear-and-tear on several members of the roster and the big man being fresh. Count on him tallying over 8.5 rebounds as he has in 20 games already this season, with the Sixers’ weakness in mind.
Joel Embiid to Record 30+ Points (+114)
There was legitimate concern regarding the level Joel Embiid would be able to play at this season. The former MVP played a season-low 19 games last season and looked like a shell of himself most of the time he was on the court. Flash forward to this season, and Embiid has blown past what any legitimate expectations were for him. Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game overall. But this has been a process throughout the season. Embiid had some growing pains in the early parts of the season, but he is averaging exactly 30.0 points per game over his past 22 games.
Entering this matchup, Embiid has scored 30+ in eight of his last 10 games. He is averaging 33.1 points across this stretch, shooting 52.9% from the field and 52.9% from beyond the three-point arc. The 31-year-old has scored 38 and 26 points in his pair of matchups with the Knicks this season.
New York deserves to be in the conversation for the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but they have some defense concerns. Karl-Anthony Towns has struggled throughout his career to match up with Embiid, and this will be an issue tonight. With the tired legs a factor and Embiid playing his best basketball of late, this has the makings of a big performance. The Sixers elected to rest Embiid on Monday night in the final leg of their West Coast trip in preparation for this heavyweight Eastern Conference bout. Embiid looks back to performing at the two-time scoring champion level he has proven to be, and the odds have not caught up to this. Count on Embiid to be ready to lead the charge for the Sixers tonight and tally 30+ points for the ninth time in the past 11 games with the friendly matchup in mind.
