New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers Predictions – NBA Playoff Preview | May 8, 2026

The New York Knicks travel to Philadelphia for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, with tip-off scheduled for 11:00 PM ET. New York lead this series 2-0 after wins of 137-98 and 108-102, and arrive in Philly as favourites to take a commanding 3-0 lead.

Series Context

This is Conference Semifinals Game 3 with the Knicks leading 2-0. New York won Game 1 on May 4 (137-98) and Game 2 on May 6 (108-102). Philadelphia beat Boston in the first round and enter this series on home court advantage for Game 3, but the series deficit is steep. No team in NBA history has come back from 3-0 down in the playoffs.

Odds and Market

Despite the series scoreline, the market is near-even for Game 3. The Statz Bet Builder shows (via Polymarket): 76ers moneyline -106, Knicks +106. Philadelphia are listed as 1.5-point home favourites. The total is set at 214.5 points. The Statz win probability model gives New York the edge at 57% to Philadelphia’s 43%, despite the home-court swing. Philadelphia’s pace is faster (91.1 vs 83.3) – which could open the game up at Wells Fargo Center.

Team Form

Philadelphia have won three straight at home against Boston before losing back-to-back to New York (98-137 on May 4, 102-108 on May 6). The 76ers are 47-38 on the season. The Knicks have won five consecutive games: two over Philly and three over Atlanta in the first round (140-89, 126-97, 114-98). New York finished the regular season 55-31.

Shooting and Pace Splits

Philadelphia hold a significant field goal advantage – 47.6% vs New York’s 44.8% across the season’s playoff-adjusted window. The Sixers also shoot 37.2% from three against New York’s 36.3%. New York counter with the better free throw percentage – 81.6% vs 76.2% for Philly. Philadelphia have the pace advantage at 91.1 (faster possessions) vs 83.3 for New York, meaning Philly prefer an up-tempo game they have not been able to impose in the first two contests.

Key Players

Tyrese Maxey is Philadelphia’s leading scorer at 28.0 points per game this season, alongside Joel Embiid at 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Paul George adds 17.3 points per game. Rookie VJ Edgecombe has recorded 10+ points in 5 consecutive games at 15.9 points per game.

New York counter with Jalen Brunson at 26.2 points and 6.7 assists per game, Karl-Anthony Towns averaging 19.9 points and 11.7 rebounds, and OG Anunoby at 17.3 points per game. No injuries are listed for either team.

Active Prop Streaks and Milestones

OG Anunoby is the hottest prop in this series. He has hit 1+ three-pointer in 8 straight games and 2+ threes in 8 straight, scored 15+ points in 6 consecutive games, registered 1+ block in 7 straight, and hit the points-assists combo at 17.5+ in 6 straight. Paul George has hit 2+ threes in 8 straight games and 3+ threes in 7 straight. Karl-Anthony Towns has recorded 6+ assists in 5 consecutive games.

In the under column: Miles McBride is under 2.5 assists in 13 straight games, Jalen Brunson is under 0.5 blocks in 13 consecutive games, Josh Hart is under on points-rebounds (21.5), points-assists (17.5), and rebounds (9.5) across 6 straight, and Joel Embiid is under 1.5 blocks in 5 straight. Full prop data and hit rates are on the Statz game preview page.

Verdict

The market says this is a coin-flip, but New York’s consistency – five wins in a row, Brunson averaging over 26 points in the series, Anunoby a problem in every category – makes them the side to be on. Philadelphia need to force pace and get the crowd involved early. Check all player projections at statz.ai/nba/schedule and the Knicks team page and 76ers team page. Build your parlay at statz.ai/bet-builder-tool.