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Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Playoff Series Predictions and Best Bets

by Spencer Toth - 5/4/2026

Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks playoff series predictions Joel Embiid

The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers renew one of the NBA's oldest rivalries in their second-round matchup in the Eastern Conference playoffs. This is the 11th time the two franchises have met in the postseason, with Philadelphia holding a 6-4 advantage. However, the Knicks have won each of the last two meetings between the two teams, as the last 76ers postseason series win over the Knicks came more than 50 years ago. 

Flash forward to today, and both sides have a realistic chance of reaching the NBA Finals. New York made it look easy against Atlanta in the first round, eliminating them in six games, including a 140-89 smackdown to close out the series. Jalen Brunson elevated his game even further in that series, while the rest of the Knicks put on dominant defensive displays to cruise into the second round.

The first round was not as straightforward for the 76ers, who had to battle back from a 3-1 deficit to oust the Celtics in seven games. Joel Embiid missed the first three games of the series due to injury but made an immediate impact on his return, averaging 28 PPG with 9 rebounds and 7 assists over the series. The trio of Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey is starting to live up to the hype, making the 76ers a dangerous team to watch in the East. Will Philadelphia pull off another upset to extend the Knicks' championship drought, or will New York get one step closer to their first NBA Finals appearance in decades? Let’s dive in. 

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New York Knicks: 

The New York Knicks were the only Eastern Conference team to avoid a Game 7, as they had a relatively straightforward series against Atlanta. The Hawks did win two games, but both victories came by a single point, while all four Knicks’ wins came by a double-digit margin. Jalen Brunson’s clutch offensive plays were a real difference-maker, as he consistently hit shots the Knicks needed whenever the Hawks threatened a comeback. While Brunson’s offense has been on display for nearly a decade, OG Anunoby was the biggest surprise of the series. Anunoby dropped 21.7 PPG with 8.7 rebounds and a team-high 1.8 steals per game in the six games against the Hawks. Anunoby is known for his three-and-D skillset, and took it a step further as he was scoring from all three levels in the first round. Karl-Anthony Towns also chipped in 18.7 PPG, allowing Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges to dial in on defense while the rest of the starters took care of the offense.  

Unlike previous playoff runs with this Knicks roster, head coach Mike Brown was able to go deeper into the bench, with Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, and Jordan Clarkson all averaging at least 13 minutes per game in the series. Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet also played in nearly every game with about nine minutes per game each, giving the Knicks a legitimate 10-man rotation to keep legs fresh deeper into the playoffs. 

Looking ahead to the 76ers, New York faces a much tougher task than it did against the Hawks. Atlanta didn’t have a physical big man to challenge both Towns and Robinson in the paint, while the 76ers have Joel Embiid to do so, with Andre Drummond and Adem Bona both coming in as capable backups. The Knicks will not be able to count on massive rebounding advantages in this series and will instead need to be more efficient on offense by scoring on their first effort instead of the second or third attempt. 

New York has the top-end talent to prevail; they are as deep as ever, but the expectations piled on this team may become too much to handle. The Knicks stars are used to playing under the metaphorically bright lights of MSG, but it feels like championship or bust for New York, given the reaction to their round one win. The 76ers have handled adversity before, but if the Knicks' mental fortitude is on the same level, this is their series to lose. 

Philadelphia 76ers:
Who saw this coming? Philadelphia was a massive underdog to advance against Boston, going into the series with +600 odds to advance. Their odds ballooned to +6000 when they were down 3-1, but Embiid’s return allowed them to win three straight to book a second-round date with the Knicks. Boston was previously 32-0 with a 3-1 advantage, while the 76ers were 0-18. Both of those streaks ended with their Saturday night victory. 

Philadelphia is a team that has had high expectations for nearly a decade, but has yet to reach the third round in the ‘Joel Embiid era.’ Embiid’s constant injury problems have derailed any momentum the 76ers have gained, as he hasn’t played more than 40 games since 2022-23, and never played 70+ in his career. While his health may be a storyline later, he is currently healthy, the only former MVP in this series, and can play truly dominant basketball in the paint. Embiid’s playstyle is often criticized, but there is no denying its efficiency. Fouling Embiid is often the only option once he gets into the paint, and it is not as if Towns is a top-tier interior defender. Embiid will find success early and often, but the 76ers' offense still hinges on how they do from the outside. 

Philadelphia struggled to find success from deep in the regular season despite having solid shooters on its roster. Maxey is capable of hitting big shots with an inch of space, while VJ Edgecombe has emerged as a reliable option during his rookie season. Once you add Paul George to the mix, the 76ers have multiple options at all three scoring levels on the offensive end. 

While the star power is there, the 76ers beat the Celtics thanks to their defensive play. They held Boston to 100 points or fewer in all four of their victories, while the Celtics scored 119.66 PPG in their three wins. Their starkly different defensive showings were the difference before, and they will be again when the 76ers take on the Knicks. Philadelphia was average across the league in the regular season and has the worst defense still alive in the playoffs, but a strong showing in this one could have them knocking on the door of the NBA Finals for the first time in Joel Embiid’s 76ers career. 

Series Prediction:

The New York Knicks are moderate favorites over the 76ers, with the most likely outcome being a five-game victory for New York. While I can agree that the Knicks deserve to be favored, this series will be much closer than the odds suggest. New York looked great against Atlanta, and I am not taking anything away from their victory, but I am not sure I have ever seen a team miss more wide-open threes than the Hawks did. New York held the Hawks to under 40% from the floor in all six games, and that is not a trend we can expect to continue here. When the 76ers hit their open shots from three-point range, this Knicks defense will suddenly look much more vulnerable. Towns and Brunson are clear defensive liabilities, and the 76ers are a much tougher matchup for a team like New York. Embiid can match their physicality in the paint, and the 76ers are much better at spacing the floor than most teams in the league. 

That said, I still expect the Knicks to prevail. Philadelphia is healthy for now, but there is no guarantee Embiid and company survive another game, let alone an entire series, without getting injured. The best ability is availability, and through consistent minute restrictions, the Knicks are as fresh as ever heading into this one. New York has the better offense, the better defense, they are more rested, and the less injury-prone team. The 76ers have the star power to keep things close, but I have the Knicks taking this one in seven in front of a very loud MSG crowd. 

Prediction: New York Knicks in Seven Games

Best Bets:
The Knicks are -275 to advance, with the 76ers coming back at +220. While I am not a fan of either of those prices, there is still a great pick to make in this series. I expect this one to go deep, probably all seven games, and we will keep that in mind when making our picks. The first one is on the series spread, where we will take Philadelphia (+1.5 Games). We are still getting +105 on this pick, which is a great price since the Knicks would have to win in five games (unlikely) or close it out in Game 6 on the road (unlikely) for this pick to miss. Whether the 76ers pull off another upset or the Knicks close it out at home, our +1.5-game handicap is the top pick to make at +105 odds. 

Next up, we will take both over 5.5 games at -130 and over 6.5 games at +230. The 76ers are being disrespected on the betting odds, as this will be a very close series right down to the wire. New York struggled in the clutch against the Hawks, and I expect at least one late meltdown to keep the 76ers in this series. A healthy 76ers side can take the Knicks deep, and these are much better prices than I was expecting, given the quality on both rosters. 

Bet: Philadelphia 76ers (+1.5 Games) +105

Best Bet: 76ers vs Knicks Over 5.5 Games -130

Bet: 76ers vs Knicks Over 6.5 Games +230

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