The Philadelphia 76ers put up a valiant effort at Madison Square Garden in Game 1, but after coming up short, they'll need to be just a little bit better on Monday night to potentially split their series with the New York Knicks before it swings to the City of Brotherly Love.
Let's put together a same-game parlay for Game 2 and win some money.
(Related Link) 76ers vs. Knicks First Round Preview, Betting Odds
Philadelphia 76ers Vs. New York Knicks Game 2
Matchup Page: Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Bet | Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks ML | -225 |
| Jalen Brunson UNDER 30.5 Points | -102 |
| Josh Hart OVER 12.5 Points | -125 |
| Overall | +352 |
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 1: New York Knicks ML
The dark cloud hanging over this series at the moment is the health, both current and long term, of Joel Embiid. The basketball world held its collective breath on Saturday when the superstar center went down holding his knee after throwing down a slam dunk off glass, but thankfully he was ready to compete once the second half got underway.
He finished with a line of 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, but despite his loaded box score, it was clear Embiid was favoring his leg and was nowhere near 100 percent. If he's ruled out for Monday's game, as he's currently listed as questionable, then the complexion of the best-of-seven goes haywire. It's hard to imagine him sitting, though, considering the magnitude of what's at stake, with Embiid having never sniffed a Conference Finals in his career. It's not unobtainable, but it's rare for a team to climb out of a 0-2 deficit to win a series, although it has been accomplished twice over the last two postseasons.
New York went 17-4 SU throughout the 2023-24 campaign when favored by five or more points on its home court, including victories in its last five attempts. It was favored by 4.5 points on Saturday and won both SU and ATS, and that will be the case again in Game 2.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 2: Jalen Brunson UNDER 30.5 Points
Oddsmakers are going wild with some of these player props, perhaps taking into account Embiid's potential absence. Setting the bar for All-Star guard Jalen Brunson at 30.5 points is truly going for it, as he only finished with 22 points in Game 1.
He did, however, take a game-high 26 shots and play just under 42 minutes, so if Brunson had shot closer to 50 percent from the field, then we're looking at this prop in a different light. Brunson also registered 30 or more points in his last seven appearances and nine of his last 10 to close the season, as well.
We're looking at this prop within the confines of one singular series, because Philadelphia will of course put more of an emphasis on stopping Brunson on defense as he's the one with the rock in his hands more often than not, both as a scorer and facilitator. He's the engine that keeps the Knicks running, and while his talent and playing time are enough to get him 31 or more points on any given night, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will surely formulate a stronger game plan to keep him in check and make others on New York beat his team.
Same-Game Parlay Pick No. 3: Josh Hart OVER 12.5 Points
If Josh Hart's player prop is merely an OVER/UNDER of 12.5 points, then take the OVER with all of the confidence in the world.
It rings true from start to finish, but Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is unafraid of running his starters into the ground and shortening his rotations. Hart saw the floor a team-high 42 minutes and scored 22 points, including some clutch shots down the stretch which helped seal New York's win.
Philadelphia is lacking in perimeter defenders, building its defense from the inside out with Embiid protecting the paint. As long as Hart's shot continues to drop, which it did a great deal in Game 1 with four makes on eight attempts from deep, then the 12.5-point total will seem almost disrespectfully low by the time the final buzzer sounds.
