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 76ers won the teams' first meeting 106-100 on October 20 and have won four of their first five games. The Knicks have recovered from an 0-3 start with two consecutive victories.
New York enters as a 3.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 225.5 points. The Knicks are -148 on the moneyline, while the 76ers are +124. Friday also marks the start of NBA Cup group play.
In the season opener, Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points for Philadelphia, while LeBron James contributed 14 in his 76ers debut, according to the preview. The Knicks shot 37.2% from the field and struggled after halftime.
Both teams won on Wednesday. Maxey scored 27 as the 76ers rallied past Indiana 114-109, with Joel Embiid adding 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds, and James supplied 10 assists. The Knicks erased a 19-point deficit at Chicago, with Jalen Brunson scoring 38 in a 133-127 win. OG Anunoby added 23 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 rebounds.
SportsLine forecasts a 117-110 New York victory and assigns the Knicks a 66% chance to win outright and a 64% probability of covering the 3.5-point spread. The opening meeting produced 206 points, and most of New York's early games have tracked near that figure. Philadelphia has finished below 228.5 in four of five games, averaging 110.8 points while allowing 107.4. FanDuel lists the under 225.5 at -110.
