Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a week for the Philadelphia 76ers. After going down 3-1 in a first round series against the Boston Celtics, Philly completed an unthinkable comeback to defeat its rival, culminating in a Game 7 win on Saturday night in Boston. Reality set in on Monday, with a quick turnaround to Game 1 against the New York Knicks. The Sixers were in a difficult spot, and got blown out.
Now, in a crucial Game 2 to attempt to even the series at Madison Square Garden, Joel Embiid has been ruled out. Embiid’s absence moved the 76ers from +7.5-point underdogs to +10.5-point underdogs at DraftKings Sportsbook. While this is a huge loss for Philadelphia, it creates significant opportunity for Andre Drummond.
Over the last five playoff games since Embiid’s return, Drummond has averaged just 8.4 minutes per game. However, during the three playoff games that Embiid missed, Drummond played 24.5 minutes per game, posting averages of 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. In 41 regular season games without Embiid, Drummond averaged 7.6 points and 10.0 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.
Drummond actually faced the Knicks twice in the regular season, and both matchups were without Embiid. He only played 11 minutes off the bench in one of those games, but it was a tough blowout loss in the first game back home after a long west coast road trip. In the other instance, Drummond started, which I expect to be the case here in Game 2. He wound up finishing with 14 points and 13 boards in over 32 minutes on the court.
I’m going to a Same Game Parlay and buying low on Drummond’s Game 2 props. The 76ers will need his size against a front court of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. I’m expecting at least 24 minutes for Drummond in this game, with potential for 30-plus if he stays out of foul trouble. You can bet on Drummond to put up at least six points and six rebounds at the a modest -130 price tag at DraftKings Sportsbook.
NBA Player Prop Parlay: Andre Dummond 6+ Points/6+ Rebounds (-130)
