The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks clash in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday, May 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The Knicks enter as 7.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.
Down 3-1 in the series and by 13 points in Game 5, the Sixers eventually rallied to knock off the Boston Celtics in seven outings to advance. The Knicks, meanwhile, trailed 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks before winning the final three contests — including Game 6 by 51 points.
Below, we’ll break down our 76ers vs. Knicks prediction and picks for Monday’s NBA Playoff game, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
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76ers vs. Knicks Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Game 1 – Monday, May 4
The Knicks turned up the defense in round one holding the Hawks to under 100 points in each of the last three games to advance.
New York didn’t trail over the final three quarters in those three games, winning by an average of 32 points. It was an extension of the defense they played during the regular season that finished fifth in scoring (110.1 PPG) and seventh in rating (112.3).
While the defense excelled overall, New York was just 21st against opposing centers this season, allowing 22.7 PPG. 76ers C Joel Embiid is a tough matchup, and he returned for the final four games of the series vs. Boston to average 28 PPG and lead Philly to three wins in a row.
In two games vs. the Knicks this season, Embiid averaged 32 PPG and 10.5 rebounds per game.
A resurgent 76ers team, which became just the 14th squad to overcome a 3-1 deficit, will have to stop a red-hot Knicks offense that scored 106+ points in all six games of the first round. New York shot 49.9% from the field in the opening round, the best of any team.
The Knicks knocked off the 76ers in six games the last time they met in the postseason back in 2024.
76ers vs. Knicks Spread, Over/Under for Game 1 – Monday, May 4
The Knicks enter Monday’s game as 7.5-point favorites against the 76ers, returning a 1.33x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for 76ers vs. Knicks on PrizePicks.
- Spread: New York Knicks -7.5 (1.88x payout)
- Over/Under: 212.5 (1.85x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: 76ers 3.03x | Knicks 1.33x
Play the 76ers vs. Knicks spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Timeline
Here is the full 76ers vs. Knicks timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.
All-Time: 76ers, 289-230
Regular Season: Tied 2-2
Postseason: 76ers, 23-16 (76ers have won six of 10 series)
76ers vs. Knicks Conference Semifinals Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NBA Playoffs
- Game 1: Monday, May 4, 8 p.m. ET in New York
- Game 2: Wednesday, May 6, 7 p.m. ET in New York
- Game 3: Friday, May 8, 7 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Game 4: Sunday, May 10, 3:30 p.m. ET in Philadelphia
- Game 5-7 if necessary
76ers vs. Knicks Prediction on Spread for Game 1 – 5/4/26
Here are the key stats and trends behind our 76ers vs. Knicks prediction on the spread for Monday, May 4.
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- The 76ers have covered in 49 of 90 games (54.4%), including five of the seven vs. the Celtics in the first round.
- Philly has been an underdog in all eight games this postseason, going 5-2 against the spread entering the conference semifinals. Four of the covers were outright wins. Philly is now 22-22 ATS in the underdog role.
- The Sixers’ offense struggled shooting in the regular season, finishing 23rd in field goal percentage (46.2%) and 26th in effective field goal percentage (53.1%). In the first four games of the first round, they were last or second-to-last in almost every offensive category.
- The Knicks are 48-41 ATS (53.9%), fifth-best among postseason teams. New York covered in four of six games against the Hawks, including each of the last three. The Knicks also covered in their final five games of the regular season.
- As a favorite, the Knicks are 38-33. Those 38 covers are the second-most of any team, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder's 39.
- New York finished the season 10th in scoring (116.5 PPG), fourth in offensive rating (118.7), and ninth in eFG% (55.7%). Through six postseason games, the Knicks lead all teams in eFG% (56.9%) and are second in offensive rating at 121.9.
76ers vs. Knicks Player Picks, Stats for Game 1: 5/4/26
Here are the top 76ers vs. Knicks picks to target in the NBA Playoffs on PrizePicks for Monday, May 4. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include PGs Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson.
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76ers PG Tyrese Maxey vs. Knicks Projection: 32 Pts + Asts
- Maxey has hit his points, rebounds, and assists projection in five of seven games vs. the Celtics, including each of the last three.
- The star guard averaged 26.9 PPG in the series, the fourth-most of any player in the postseason.
- Maxey’s 6.6 assists per game in the first round are 10th-best. He recorded 5+ assists in all seven games.
- In 18 career games (14 starts), the Kentucky product is averaging 22.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists vs. the Knicks. This season, he scored 30, 36, 22, and 32 in the four matchups.
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Knicks PG Jalen Brunson vs. 76ers Projection: 27.5 Points
- Brunson has hit his points projection in six of the past nine games, including three times in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs.
- Every time Brunson had 7+ free throw tries in the Hawks series, he hit his points prop.
- The Villanova product is averaging 28.3 PPG this postseason, fifth-most among all players. He averaged 35.8 PPG and 9 APG in the 2024 playoffs vs. the 76ers.
- In 23 career games (20 starts), Brunson is averaging 20.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG vs. the 76ers. This season, he averaged 23.0 PPG, but that included scoring 8 in a blowout. He scored 22, 31, and 31 in the other three.
Add Jalen Brunson to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
NBA Playoffs Live Picks: 76ers vs. Knicks on PrizePicks for Game 1
Here are some in-game angles to target for your 76ers vs. Knicks live picks.
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- In 73 career postseason games, Brunson is averaging 25.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 5.5 APG.
- New York has an advantage coming out of the half, as Philadelphia averages only 27.4 PPG in the third quarter — 29th of 30 teams.
- The second quarter is one to watch. The two teams combine for 59.2 in that frame, both in the top half of the NBA.
- Including the postseason, the Knicks have the best fourth-quarter scoring margin in the NBA at +2.9 on average.
Make 76ers vs. Knicks Game 1 Picks on PrizePicks
The 76ers stormed back to win the last three games and shock the second-seeded Celtics in the first round. Can they do the same to the Knicks?
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