Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Predictions – NBA Playoff Preview | May 6, 2026

The Philadelphia 76ers travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday, May 6. New York is favoured at -239 (1.42), Philadelphia listed at +239 (3.39). The spread is Knicks -7.5, total set at 214.5.

New York finished 55-31 (64%) with 116.3 points per game scored and 110.0 allowed. They eliminated Atlanta in round one, winning 4-1. Philadelphia went 47-38 (55.3%) and upset Boston 4-2, winning three straight after an 0-2 deficit. The 76ers arrive here as momentum-backed underdogs.

Form

New York’s last five (all vs Atlanta): W 140-89, W 126-97, W 114-98, L 108-109, L 106-107. Three dominant wins but two narrow losses in the middle of the series reveal vulnerability to close games. Philadelphia’s last five (all vs Boston): W 109-100, W 106-93, W 113-97, L 96-128, L 100-108. Philadelphia won three of those five and closed out Boston on the road.

Team Stats and Pace

New York runs at 81.8 possessions per game (slow), Philadelphia at 90.7 (also slow). Philadelphia has a pace advantage. The 76ers edge New York in field goal shooting (47.6% vs 44.8%) and three-point percentage (37.2% vs 36.3%). New York has the edge from the free-throw line (81.6% vs 76.2%).

Statz win probability has this at 51.5% Philadelphia vs 48.5% New York – essentially even – despite New York’s status as clear favourites. New York averages 27.2 assists per game vs Philadelphia’s 24.3. New York concedes 110.0 per game; Philadelphia gives up 115.7.

Player Projections

Jalen Brunson leads New York at 25.9 projected points, 2.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists. OG Anunoby projects for 19.7 points and 7.4 rebounds. Karl-Anthony Towns is projected for 19.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists. Josh Hart adds a projected 9.9 points and 7.6 boards.

Philadelphia counters with Joel Embiid, projected for 27.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists. Tyrese Maxey projects at 27.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists. Paul George adds 17.6 projected points. VJ Edgecombe, emerging as a key contributor, projects for 15.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists.

Track these players at Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe on Statz.

Active Prop Streaks and Milestones

Active streaks to watch in this matchup:

• OG Anunoby (NYK) – 6+ rebounds in 6 consecutive games, averaging 8.7 per game over that run
• OG Anunoby (NYK) – 2+ threes in 6 straight games, averaging 2.8 per game
• OG Anunoby (NYK) – over 5.5 rebounds in 6 straight games, averaging 8.8 last five
• Paul George (PHI) – 2+ threes in 6 straight games, averaging 3.5 per game
• Paul George (PHI) – over 2.5 threes in 5 consecutive games, averaging 3.8 last five

VJ Edgecombe has hit 20+ combined points, rebounds, and assists in 5 of his last 5 games (100% L5, 80% L10) and has hit 15+ combined points and assists in 5 of his last 5 (100% L5, 90% L10). On the cold side: Kelly Oubre Jr. (PHI) has gone under 1.5 threes in five consecutive games, averaging just 0.4 per game.

Pair up these trends with the Statz Bet Builder Tool.

Injuries

No injury concerns reported for either side ahead of Game 1.

Playoff Context

This is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. New York’s MSG crowd will be loud, but Philadelphia has already beaten one top seed on the road this postseason. The Embiid-vs-Towns battle in the frontcourt and the Brunson-vs-Maxey guard duel are the matchups that will define this series. New York’s home advantage and defensive consistency make them the right-side favourite, but the 76ers have shown they are capable of winning on the road in a hostile environment.

Get the full interactive preview at the New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers game preview on Statz. Visit the full NBA schedule, the New York Knicks team page, and the Philadelphia 76ers team page on Statz.