Knicks vs. 76ers Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NBA Cup Group Play

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the New York Knicks-Philadelphia 76ers matchup in NBA Cup Group Play on Tuesday.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid will return to action on Tuesday night against the New York Knicks for the first game for both teams in this season’s NBA Cup Group Play. 

Philadelphia has gotten off to a slow start without Embiid, winning just two of its first nine games, but it finally will have him and Paul George (who also missed time with a knee injury) in action together. 

Guard Tyrese Maxey (hamstring) is still out for Philly, but the Sixers are slight favorites against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. This is a rematch of last season’s first-round playoff matchup, where the Knicks beat the Sixers in six games.

However, New York looks a lot different this season with Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in the fold. Despite that, the Knicks are off to just 4-5 start and have dropped three straight road games against Atlanta, Houston and Indiana. 

Can the Knicks get back on track to spoil Embiid’s season debut?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch and my best bet for this NBA Cup matchup. 

Knicks vs. 76ers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Knicks -1.5 (-110)
• Sixers +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Knicks: -120
• Sixers: +100

Total

• 214.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Knicks vs. 76ers How to Watch

• Date: Tuesday, Nov. 12
• Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Venue: Wells Fargo Center
• How to Watch (TV): TNT
• Knicks record: 4-5
• Sixers record: 2-7

Knicks vs. 76ers Injury Reports

Knicks Injury Report

• Precious Achiuwa – out
• Mitchell Robinson – out
• Kevin McCullar Jr. – out
• Boo Buie III – out
• Cam Payne – questionable
• Miles McBride – questionable

76ers Injury Report

• Adem Bona – out
• Lester Quinones – out
• Justin Edwards – out
• Tyrese Maxey – out

Knicks vs. 76ers Key Players to Watch

New York Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns: Offensively, Towns has been great this season. He’s averaging 24.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 53.7 percent from 3. Unfortunately, he’s been awful defensively, allowing the highest field goal percentage as the primary defender in the restricted area so far this season. 

Per @TimBontemps on the Hoop Collective:

Players are shooting 32-for-35 against Karl-Anthony Towns in the restricted area this season.

The Knicks simply cannot expect to be successful in the postseason if that remains the case.

— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) November 11, 2024

The Knicks simply cannot afford this against Embiid, but KAT is likely to be the main defender for the Knicks on Tuesday night. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid: After missing the first nine games of the season, Embiid will make his season debut on Tuesday. The former league MVP had a big series against the Knicks last postseason, averaging 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field. 

Knicks vs. 76ers Prediction and Pick

The loss of Maxey is major for the Sixers, but the Knicks have not been good defensively to open this season, ranking in the bottom 10 in the league in defensive rating ahead of Tuesday’s matchup. 

Now, facing Embiid could be a major issue since Towns has been so bad defending down low, and the Knicks showed against Indiana that they can play great offense (shot 55.4 percent from the field) and still lose by double-digits. 

New York is just 2-4 against the spread on the road this season, and it basically has been going seven deep with Cam Payne sidelined due to a hamstring issue. That simply isn't going to cut it for a whole season, and the Knicks may run into foul trouble against Embiid without Mitchell Robinson (ankle) healthy. 

I’ll back the Sixers to take Embiid’s season debut on Tuesday night. 

Pick: Sixers Moneyline (+100)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.