In the first game of a doubleheader on ESPN tonight, R.J. Barrett and the New York Knicks will wrap up their home-and-home series against James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The longtime rivals just played each other on Sunday afternoon, when the Sixers came away with a 125-109 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Joel Embiid recorded 37 points and nine rebounds, while James Harden posted his first triple-double as a Sixer with 29 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds. Philadelphia is 10.5-point favorites according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 223.5.
Knicks vs. 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: Sixers -10.5
The Knicks are hoping to have better luck tonight after losing their fifth straight game on Sunday and nine out of their last 10 games. New York’s defense has been less than stellar during their current losing streak, giving up 118 points per game to opponents. It’s hard to win games when you are allowing almost 120 points per game on a nightly basis.
This is the first game of a tough seven-game road trip that we will see the Knicks play the Suns, Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Nets. New York is 1-7 straight up in their last eight road games and 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 games. They are also 7-11 ATS as road underdogs this season, which is not great.
As for the Sixers, they are a perfect 2-0 in the Harden-Embiid era and have won five out of their last six games. Philadelphia’s offense has been playing well in their last three games, averaging 127 points per game. The Sixers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games, but 1-4 ATS in their last five home games. However, they are 3-5 ATS this season when the spread is higher than 10 points.
Over/Under: Over 223
In their first three matchups this season, the total points scored were 211, 199, and 234. With the way that the Sixers are playing on offense, we could see another high total. The total has gone over in four of the Sixers’ last five games, while the total has gone over in six of the Knicks’ last seven games.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.