The Philadelphia 76ers (4-1) host the New York Knicks (2-3) on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The matchup marks the second meeting between the teams this season; Philadelphia won the first encounter 106-100 at Madison Square Garden on October 20. Friday's game also begins NBA Cup group play for both sides.
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Philadelphia enters on a four-game winning streak after a 114-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. Tyrese Maxey scored 27 points, while Joel Embiid added 21 points and 11 rebounds. The 76ers have won four of their first five games, averaging 110.8 points while allowing 107.4 per contest.
New York has recovered from an 0-3 start with two consecutive wins, including a 133-127 comeback victory at Chicago on Wednesday. Jalen Brunson erupted for 38 points, OG Anunoby contributed 23, and Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed 13 rebounds. The Knicks shot 22-of-48 from three-point range and outscored the Bulls 43-24 in the fourth quarter.
Odds and Predictions
Despite Philadelphia's home-court advantage and the earlier head-to-head win, the Knicks are listed as 3.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 225.5 points. On the moneyline, New York sits at -148 while Philadelphia is +124. SportsLine projects a 117-110 Knicks victory, giving New York a 66% chance to win outright and a 64% probability of covering the spread. FanDuel lists the Knicks at -3.5 (-115) and the under 225.5 at -110.
The opening game produced 206 total points, and New York's first four contests each finished between 206 and 213 combined points. Wednesday's high-scoring affair in Chicago (260 points) was an outlier. Philadelphia has stayed under 228.5 points in four of five games, with the lone exception a 243-point game against Milwaukee.
