Back Knicks moneyline vs 76ers in Game 1 Saturday

The New York Knicks are three point favorites over the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of Saturday’s tip off in the first game of this first round matchup. My pick for this game is the Knicks moneyline, with DraftKings’ -142 odds being the best among the best NBA betting sites.

I’ll start by saying Joel Embiid didn’t look very healthy Wednesday. While he came to life in the fourth quarter with some clutch shots, he was limping, slow, and grimacing through most of the game. He’s had a couple of days to rest, so we’ll see if that helps.

Despite Embiid’s health, he still put up 23 points and 15 rebounds against the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo. Without Julius Randle, the Knicks are more vulnerable down low. Expect to see a lot of OG Anunoby on Embiid as he’s New York’s best defender who’s capable of guarding 1-5.

As good as Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are, the 76ers’ success typically comes down to how well Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tobias Harris compliment them. Neither Harris or Oubre did much against the Heat, so I would expect both players to come out with a more aggressive mindset Saturday.

As for the Knicks, Randle’s absence looms large over this team. Despite losing his 24 points per game back in the end of January, the Knicks stayed strong finishing as the No. 2 seed and ending the season on a 13-5 stretch.

Jalen Brunson continues to blossom more each time I watch him. He’s led the Knicks in scoring in nine of the last ten games, averaging 39.6 points in those outings. You can expect him to score a plentiful amount of points in this game and each game that follows this series.

New York’s surrounding talent plays well together, as Anunoby has been a flawless fit due to his defense and shooting. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo have similar skill sets to Anunoby, and the Knicks bench has capable players in Bojan Bogdanovic, Miles McBride, and Mitchell Robinson.

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Because of how shaky Embiid looked against the Heat, it’s hard to know how confident to feel about the 76ers. Maxey is a phenomenal talent but is better equipped to be the co-star in this offense.

It’s also hard to gauge how well Oubre, Harris, and the supporting cast will perform. As great as Nic Batum was against the Heat, the 76ers can’t count on him repeating that type of performance.

I was skeptical of the Knicks when Randle went down, as I viewed them as the second likeliest team to come out of the East.

After seeing them play three months without Randle, I’m once again convinced they have the defense, shooting, and star power with Brunson to handle business.

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