76ers vs. Knicks: Game 2 prediction, odds, pick for Monday 4/22

76ers vs. Knicks Odds

Monday, April 22, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here.

Philadelphia 76ers 

The Sixers were a consensus +4.5 underdog by the time we got to tip-off, and they failed to cover, though they were well within range until the bitter end.

If not for Embiid's injury, who knows.

But what makes Philly difficult to back with any confidence on a game-to-game basis is Embiid's ongoing health battle and the dichotomy between how the 76ers have looked with (31-8 during the regular season) and without their MVP center.

If the Sixers are to be without Embiid for any stretch, those are minutes that are difficult to win, and to that point, guess who was a team-best +14 in Game 1? That's right, Embiid.

The Sixers came out hot, outscoring the Knicks 34-25 in the first quarter, but floundered to only 12 in the second. A 36-21 third actually gave them a second half cover and moneyline, outpacing New York by five.

The Sixers offense largely came in spurts, then went dormant. Keep that in mind when monitoring the ebbs and flows of the offense.

New York Knicks 

The Knicks have been a top 10 team all season as a home favorite against the spread at 18-13, and in those games, they're 18-13 to the under, though Game 1 was a bit over the 209 total, ending up at 215.

Notably, Embiid continued to play deep in drop defense, and Jalen Brunson wasn't able to take full advantage, only shooting 8 for 26 from the field. The 76ers also dared Josh Hart to beat them, and he did, shooting 4-for-8 from three. Hart hasn't shot that many threes since February 29.

It was one of those playoff outlier performances from deep, but Hart's line of 22 points and 13 rebounds has been an occasional thing during the latter portion of the regular season as the Knicks have been short-handed.

Expect a similar effort in Game 2, whether or not the production is the same.

The Sixers and head coach Nick Nurse are poised to make some level of adjustment to what the Knicks thrived in, but watch for Brunson to potentially find his shot to counteract that if he continues to generate similar looks from the perimeter and or against the drop defense.

76ers vs. Knicks

Betting Pick & Prediction

The game? Not sure. Embiid's health is difficult to bank on, but the Knicks were still pushed for all 48 minutes despite his effort, and even at less than 100%, he has the potential to be special, even against this defense.

But as mentioned, Brunson also has another level to get to in this series, one he may hit in Game 2 if some of these same shots he bricked actually fall through.

Ultimately, my lean is for the Sixers to cover the first half spread at +3.5. I expect another good start from them, and I'll gamble on Embiid being healthy enough for them to cover.

As for the rest of the game, would it really surprised you if the Knicks bothered Embiid enough and make the key plays late in the fourth quarter again? They've done it all season — it's a stay away from me.

Pick: 76ers 1H +3.5 (-130)