The second round of the Eastern Conference will open up tonight as the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks face off. These teams had a thrilling matchup in the 2023-24 playoff series and will face off again with some reinforcements brought in for both sides. With the Celtics eliminated and the Pistons and Cavaliers each showing some flaws, both these teams will be looking to capitalize on the open conference race.
Looking at the odds, the Knicks enter as 7.5-point favorites and hold -290 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The 76ers hold +235 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 213.5 points.
Tonight, DraftKings Sportsbook is offering an amazing 30% profit boost promotion for the NBA Playoffs. Opt in and create a same-game parlay (SGP) for this tilt between the Knicks and the 76ers with your single-use Profit Boost Token. The only catch? The parlay must be at least four legs with odds of at least +300 or longer. Seems simple enough, right? So simple I think I’ll whip one up right now.
You can check out the game prediction, top player props, and plenty more on DraftKings Network. In this article, let’s look at my top same-game parlay for the Eastern Conference clash.
76ers at Knicks Same Game Parlay:
- VJ Edgecombe 5+ Rebounds
- Tyrese Maxey Over 25.5 Points
- Karl-Anthony Towns 2+ Made Three-Pointers
- New York Knicks Moneyline
VJ Edgecombe to Record 5+ Rebounds (-158)
When these two teams faced off in the postseason two years ago, the 76ers’ inability to rebound was ultimately what buried them. While he holds plenty of additional responsibility as well, expect V.J. Edgecombe’s effort on the glass to be near the top of his priority list tonight. Edgecombe finished the regular season with an average of 5.6 rebounds per game and increased this to 6.9 across the opening round of the playoffs. The Baylor product posted rebounding totals of three, 10, 10, four, seven, eight and six across the seven-game series with the Celtics. Similar to Josh Hart, Edgecombe has the knack for getting the tough, back-breaking rebounds and expect this to be required tonight. The 20-year-old is a major reason why the Sixers believe their outlook this year is different and expect him to announce his presence by recording at least five rebounds in the series opener.
Tyrese Maxey Over 25.5 Points (-107)
Joel Embiid headlines the offensive attack for the Sixers. However, Tyrese Maxey is one of the biggest beneficiaries of his presence on the floor and utilizes his gravity to create looks for himself. Embiid and Maxey have an excellent synergy for playing off each other and knowing whose turn it is to attack within the flow of the offense. Across the regular season, Maxey headlined the Sixers’ scoring attack with 28.3 points per game. Since the playoffs started, the two-time All-Star saw his scoring numbers drop to 26.9, with Maxey posting scoring totals of 21, 29, 31, 22, 25, 30 and 30 in the Celtics’ series. While Embiid was the Sixers’ biggest matchup advantage against Boston, Maxey will be in this series with the Knicks. Philadelphia has done a nice job attacking Jalen Brunson on the defensive end and forcing the Knicks star to guard. Expect a focused effort to get Brunson switched onto Maxey and for this to lead to plenty of success for the Sixers. Back Maxey to set the tone and play in attack mode with the 25.5-point line a comfortable bar to clear.
Karl-Anthony Towns to Record 2+ Made Three-Pointers (+118)
On the other side of the matchup, the biggest advantage the Knicks will look to exploit is utilizing Karl-Anthony Towns’ ability to space the floor. The self-proclaimed best big man shooter of all time averaged 1.5 perimeter makes across the regular season and shot 44% from beyond the three-point arc in the opening round of the playoffs. This skill will prove especially useful in an effort to bring Joel Embiid to the perimeter and draw him away from the basket. Embiid is not the caliber of defender he was in his prime, but he can still change an entire offensive approach with his presence. The three-time All-Defensive team member is still extremely smart with his positioning and will make an effort to take away Jalen Brunson’s ability to get to his spots in help defense. The most optimized version of this Knicks team is when Towns is heavily involved in the offense. Count on the Knicks prioritizing creating three-point looks for him tonight for the short-term benefits of his shooting and the long-term of how the Sixers will be forced to guard.
New York Knicks Moneyline (-290)
The Knicks are 7.5-point favorites in this matchup and hold -270 odds of winning the series on DraftKings Sportsbook. While the Sixers have more of a chance than these odds indicate, Game 1 is a tough spot for them. Philadelphia finished a grueling Game 7 win over the Celtics on Saturday night in which the Celtics entered as -900 favorites and the Sixers became the 14th team in NBA history to advance after falling in a 3-1 series hole. Against the same organization that has defeated them three times in the Joel Embiid era, they are due for an emotional letdown playing just two nights later. This is especially the case as the Knicks last played on Thursday. New York went 30-10 straight up at home this season and 25-14 against the spread as a home favorite. Don’t jump to any conclusions after Game 1, as this should be expected to be a grueling series, but back the Knicks to find a way to take a series advantage with these factors in their favor.
You also can tail this bet and other top picks from DraftKings Network writers through the NBA player pulse social group here.
How to Use Same-Game Parlay Token
- Opt in to receive your NBA Play-In Boost Token in the Promotions page
- Make a same game parlay on DraftKings Sportsbook and apply your token
- The same game parlay must be a minimum of four legs and must have +300 odds or longer
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