NBA Playoffs 2023/24, 1st round, Game 3, Friday, 23.04.2024
Game 3 of the intense first-round series between Philadelphia and New York takes place in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday night. The hosts, led by ailing superstar Joel Embiid, already have their backs against the wall!
My 76ers Knicks betting tip, for which I use the Bwin configurator, tells you why I expect a home win in combination with a maximum of 201 points in the overall game
After Philadelphia also lost Game 2 in New York in dramatic fashion, the 76ers have their backs to the wall.
The two upcoming home games at the Wells Fargo Center are therefore must-win games!
A major disadvantage for the hosts is that superstar Joel Embiid (34.7 points, 11 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the regular season) can only drag himself through the playoffs due to meniscus damage in his left knee, which has not yet fully healed.
The health and fitness of the most talented player in the series is likely to be the decisive factor for the rest of the duel.
Even with the ailing Embiid, the 76ers were +14 in Game 1 and +3 in Game 2, while the team from Pennsylvania has managed a miserable +/- rating of -27 in the 20 minutes without the center so far.
In other words, the minutes with Embiid on the bench, which he desperately needs in order not to wear himself out, have cost the 76ers dearly so far
Against this backdrop, the spirited performance of newly crowned Most Improved Player Tyrese Maxey, who has averaged 34 points and seven assists with an outstanding 54.2% field goal percentage and 40% three-point percentage in the two games so far, offers hope.
In the Knicks’ favor is their significantly better squad depth.
So far, 58:17 bench points per New York speak for themselves.
Thanks to better rebounding, not least by the US German Isaiah Hartenstein, and its own ball security, New York has also taken 17 more shots than the 76ers after two games, which has proved decisive in both games.
Hartenstein proved to be one of the X-factors in the 4th quarter with key baskets as well as the decisive block and offensive rebound.
Thanks to their team-oriented play and omnipresent hustle, the East runners-up have also been able to make up for the poor offensive performance of their superstar Jalen Brunson.
The first-time All-Star has only hit 16/55 of his shots so far (29.1%) and is trying to force his own baskets.
The fact that the Knicks lead 2-0 despite Brunson’s weak performances and Maxey’s convincing performances must be more than worrying for 76ers fans.
The two wins to open this year’s playoffs have also solidified an impressive record for NYK wing OG Anunoby.
Since the addition of Anunoby, the Knickerbockers have a brilliant 22-3 record in games with the Anglo-Nigerian, but only 13-14 without the winter addition.
Statistically, the Knicks are almost certain to progress.
After all, 92.7% of the teams that have taken a 2-0 lead have ultimately progressed to the next round (416:33 times).
And the 76ers have yet to accomplish this feat.
The fact that they have lost their last five playoff games against NYK over the course of the season doesn’t exactly speak in Philadelphia’s favor.
For the upcoming game, however, I expect a 76ers win, because the team from Philadelphia is too good and the upcoming game too important for them not to get their first win of the series today.
After all, the 76ers have won seven of their last eleven playoff home games and are also clearly favored by the best sports betting apps with odds of around 1.50.
A 76ers win should then be combined with a points bet of under 201.5.
Because in this year’s playoffs, the teams from Philadelphia and Manhattan have put up the two slowest offenses so far (pace of 90.50 each).
I suspect that the Knicks will be rattled by their opponents and the passionate crowd, while the 76ers will improve their defense (the worst in the playoffs so far) and drag themselves across the finish line behind an in-form Maxey and a handicapped Embiid.
Since my combo tip is listed in the Bwin app with a handsome 3 odds, my 76ers Knicks tip is: Victory Philadelphia and under 201.5 points!
