Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks Prediction 5/6/2026 Today’s NBA Picks

The Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks collide in Game 2 of the East Semifinals at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

Philadelphia 76ers Betting Preview 

The Philadelphia 76ers were hoping to get off to a quick start and maybe steal home-court advantage in the series opener, but instead they came out flat and got smashed by the Knicks in a 137-98 loss in Game 1 on Monday. Paul George led the team with 17 points on six of 11 shooting, Joel Embiid added 14 points on three of 11 shooting while Tyrese Maxey chipped in with 13 points on three of nine shooting. As a team, the 76ers shot just 41 percent from the field and 11 of 30 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Knicks from the start and leaked 41 points in the second quarter to fall behind by 23 points at halftime. We kept waiting for the 76ers to fight back and work their way back into the contest but the deficit only grew as the game wore on. 

New York Knicks Betting Preview 

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks were heading into this series in red-hot form after reeling off three straight wins to run past the Hawks and it looked like they carried that momentum into this series as they were simply dominant in their Game 1 victory on Monday. Jalen Brunson led the team with 35 points on 12 of 18 shooting, OG Anunoby added 18 points on seven of eight shooting while Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each scored 17 points. As a team, the Knicks shot a sizzling 63 percent from the field and 19 of 37 from the 3-point line as they hit the ground running to take an 18-point lead midway through the second quarter and they kept their foot on the gas pedal right to the final buzzer to draw first blood with a dominant win at home. 

Philadelphia v New York Free Prediction

The 76ers could be shorthanded for this one as they are keeping an eye on Joel Embiid who is dealing with an ankle injury, while the Knicks expect to have a full squad once again. There was always a chance that the 76ers would be slow starters in this series after an exhausting 7-game series win over the Celtics, but they probably didn’t expect to get smashed in Game 1. The Knicks had it all their way on Monday and it wasn’t just Brunson as the Knicks shot over 63 percent from the field for the game, but surely the 76ers will actually play some defense in this one after getting humbled on Monday. I’m still going with the Knicks to get the win, but I think the 76ers bounce back and take this one down to the wire.

Peter Tran's Pick: Philadelphia +7.5