Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Prediction: Knicks to claim victory

Philadelphia has beaten New York in 9 of their last 10 home games, so it's no surprise that the Sixers are once again favored to beat the Knicks in the face-off. Will the home team pick up another win?

The Sixers have had a rough start to the season so far. In 9 games, Philadelphia has 4 wins, while they are still outside the top-6 in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has missed 3 of the past 4 games and is now questionable. James Harden, on the other hand, is out for about a month, and now the 76ers will have to rebuild their game once again. De'Anthony Melton will probably get more minutes and Tyrese Maxey will be a key option in the Sixers' offense along with Embiid. Matisse Thybulle has just returned to the rotation and has even managed to be in the starting five, and thus the Philadelphia coach is trying to strengthen the defense. Thybulle injured his ankle, his participation in the game with New York is also questionable.

The day before Doc Rivers' team hosted Washington at home and lost 111-121. Philadelphia's defense suffered noticeably, but their opponent failed to take full advantage of the situation. Tobias Harris made several tough three-pointers, Danuel House, Georges Niang and James Harden did well, and Tyrese Maxey was the most productive player for the Sixers with 32 points. The main reason for the loss was poor defense under the basket. Without Embiid the 76ers lack a big player, while P.J. Tucker, who starts for the Knicks, has been ineffective against taller opponents.

The Knicks started the season well, but three straight losses dropped the team to 10th place in the Eastern Conference. It would seem that New York has three star players on the roster, but neither RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, nor Jalen Brunson is averaging more than 20 points per game. What is encouraging is that the team has decent defense under the basket, and Mitchell Robinson shows the most promise in that area, making some really great blocking plays at times. They have trouble making three-pointers, and maybe Quentin Grimes will change that. The Knicks have indicated they are counting on the young guard, but he barely returned from injury and is not getting much playing time yet. The New York defense's locker room is now empty, which is encouraging.

Tom Thibodeau's team lost at home to Atlanta 99-112 in their last regular-season game. Long-distance shots did not do much for New York. The starting five, for example, made only 4 of their 18 field-goal attempts. Julius Randle was reckless on the floor at times, RJ Barrett also had his problems, and Jalen Brunson's 20-point effort wasn't enough. The Knicks had almost twice as many turnovers as their opponent and that was yet another reason they lost.

New York shows a very nice game this season. The Knicks are trying to complete their attacks as quickly as possible, although this sometimes plays a cruel trick on them. Quentin Grimes should gradually improve, helping the visitors on both ends of the floor, and one of the trio of leaders can put on a nice offensive performance in any given game. Philadelphia has to do without one of its key offensive players. If Embiid returns, the Knicks have a big man who can be very uncomfortable for the Cameroonian. A high three-point percentage also did not help the Sixers against Washington. Now the club's shooters will have even less room to make free throws. Our prediction is the following:

• H2 (+3.5) for 1.90;
• TO (220.5) for 1.95;
• W2 (incl. OT) for 2.44.