Please post it on the bulletin board. Sports betting oddsmakers have projected the Knicks as underdogs in the upcoming 7-2 first-round playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The second-seeded Knicks are +106 to beat the 76ers, while seventh-seeded Philadelphia has odds of -130 on FanDuel.
That lasted despite plenty of boos from the City of Brotherly Love during Wednesday's play-in tournament until bench player Nicolas Batum ignited a push to defeat the Heat.
Barring that improbable outburst, Batum scored 20 points in the 105-104 victory, and the Knicks would be favorites to win against the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat.
Knicks vs. 76ers series odds
| Knicks odds | 76ers odds |
|---|---|
| +106 | -130 |
Considering the Knicks' size and Joel Embiid's poor size, it's an interesting spot for Tom Thibodeau's group.
Judging simply from an eye test, Embiid hovered around the 3-point line for much of Wednesday's game.
Statistics back this up.
Since returning from injury in January, Embiid has averaged 5.4 3-point attempts per game, albeit in a small sample, which is a dramatic jump from 3.6 in January and 2.9 in December. It has increased.
Embiid appeared in just one of the teams' four regular season games, a 128-92 win over the Knicks.
The Knicks won three of those four contests overall.
Embiid had 30 points and 10 rebounds in the game, but was turned over six times and was only 10-of-23 from the field. He hit 12 free throws in that game.
The Knicks had Julius Randle in that game, and along with OG Anunoby, he made just 1 of 11 shots.
Randle will not play in this series, but Mitchell Robinson, who did not play in the January contest, will be playing and will be another player to compete against Embiid.
Do you want to bet on the NBA?
For now, New York will take the gift of even odds and run with it.
Pick: Knicks Advance (+106, FanDuel) | Knicks 5 Wins (+600, DraftKings)
