Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers will face off with the New York Knicks for the second matchup of this Eastern Conference Semifinals series tonight. The outlook for this game shifted in a major way following the news that Joel Embiid has been ruled out due to ankle and hip injuries. New York produced a comfortable 137-98 victory in Game 1, so the Sixers will be looking to rebound to even things up tonight without their star. This leaves plenty more responsibility on Maxey’s shoulders and some additional value in the prop market.
Looking at the odds for Game 2, the Knicks enter as 10.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The 76ers hold +350 odds of pulling off the outright upset, with the game total set at 213.5.
Let’s dive into my favorite Tyrese Maxey player prop for the Game 2 matchup.
Best Tyrese Maxey prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Tyrese Maxey Over 27.5 Points (-107)
The 76ers would not have been able to complete the 3-1 series comeback in round one without Joel Embiid’s return. But the Sixers, and especially Tyrese Maxey, have been forced to learn to play without him for extended stretches. Amid his availability issues, Maxey has stepped up as the lead offensive option, averaging a team-high 28.3 points per game across the regular season. He scored over 27.5 points in 39 of his 70 games played this year, including 30+ in three of the four games against the Knicks.
While the playoffs are a different beast, Maxey is not a player scared by the magnitude of the stakes. He scored over 27.5 points in four of the seven games in the opening round against the Celtics. It was also just two years ago when Maxey dropped 46 points in Madison Square Garden to extend the Sixers’ season, and he averaged 29.8 points per game across that series.
There was some clear fatigue in Game 1, less than 48 hours removed from winning an emotional Game 7 in Boston. Maxey attempted just one shot in the first quarter of Game 1 and nine overall in a matchup that got out of hand early on. He had an additional day of rest yesterday, and the Sixers will make it a clear effort to get him involved early. There is no answer for his speed on this Knicks roster, so expect Maxey to be ready to let it fly and tally over 27.5 points tonight.
Tyrese Maxey to Record 35+ Points (+319)
To take things a step further, I am backing Maxey to record 35+ points tonight as well. While the defensive end is where things truly fell apart for the Sixers in Game 1 and you could make a case that being without the version of Embiid that took the floor in the series opener should help the outlook, their offensive approach was also subpar. Philadelphia regressed to some hero-ball tendencies, and little work was done to create advantages in the flow of offense for their top scoring options.
Maxey is the Sixers’ most diverse offensive weapon, so expect the approach to be different tonight. Jalen Brunson struggles to defend and Philadelphia should be making a clear effort to put him in actions. Maxey is dynamic with the ball in his hands, but even more dangerous when coming off screens, pin-downs, and dribble-handoffs to cause havoc for the opposing defense. Expect a clear effort to create these chances tonight.
35 points is a high bar, but one that Maxey has cleared 15 times in the regular season and in two of the seven games in the previous playoff matchup with New York. This Sixers offense is largely starved for offense outside of the star guard, with the days of Paul George scaling up his offensive role likely over and V.J. Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Quentin Grimes each having some flaws in their games. It is tough to see a pathway to the Sixers scoring enough points to remain competitive without a monstrous scoring total from Maxey.
It may not be the most efficient pathway to getting there, but Maxey has attempted 20+ shots in 43 games this year and 30+ in six matchups. Expect him to have the ultimate green light and play his way to 35+ points as his level of desperation sets the tone for this Sixers team. He has largely taken on the responsibility of being the face of the franchise this season, so back the Kentucky product to show why with a monstrous scoring output tonight.
