Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Game 2 Preview, Picks & Odds for Wednesday, May 6, 2026

By Braxton Reynolds | May 06, 2026, 1:14pm

Game 2 between the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) and New York Knicks (1-0) is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. Joel Embiid has been ruled out because he “was unable to participate in the team’s shootaround this morning after experiencing increased soreness in both his ankle and hip”, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

92.2% of teams in NBA history with a 2-0 lead went on to win the best-of-seven series, so the 76ers need to take this contest to feel optimistic about their chance to advance.

76ers vs. Knicks Betting Analysis

Game 1 was competitive for the first 10 minutes, but the Knicks’ offense quickly pulled away. They had 74 points at halftime and totaled 109 points after the third quarter.

Jalen Brunson led the charge with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field. He torched VJ Edgecombe on pull-up jumpers, and it was a done deal when Joel Embiid switched onto Brunson. Perhaps Kelly Oubre Jr. sees more time defending the star point guard? He had some quality defensive possessions against Brunson because of his length and ability to move his feet.

New York’s defense also forced 19 turnovers and held Philadelphia to a 51.6 FG% inside the paint. Josh Hart deserves praise for his defensive performance.

An area of concern was Karl-Anthony Towns picking up two fouls in the first five minutes and finishing with four fouls in 20 minutes of action. The All-Star is prone to dumb fouls, and Embiid remains elite at drawing whistles. Towns needs to be smarter and more disciplined when guarding Embiid. The same applies to Mitchell Robinson, who notched four fouls in 11 minutes.

On the other side, Philadelphia cannot win this series if Embiid and Tyrese Maxey combine for 27 points again. There is not enough firepower off the bench for these two to have leeway.

The best bet for Game 2 is taking the Knicks to cover the 10.5-point spread. Philadelphia’s interior scoring becomes suspect without Embiid in the lineup, and the 76ers likekly struggle mightily to defend Brunson and Towns two-man actions again. Factor in New York’s superior depth and home-court advantage, and look for the Knicks to win comfortably.

76ers vs. Knicks Best Bet, Pick & Prediction

Best Bet: Knicks -10.5 (-106)
Score Prediction: Knicks 119, 76ers 106

76ers vs. Knicks Game Odds

76ers vs. Knicks Game Information

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Network: ESPN
Location: New York, New York
Venue: Madison Square Garden – 227.4 ppg; 21-22-1 O/U
Series Score: Knicks 1-0

76ers vs. Knicks Betting Resources

76ers vs. Knicks Key Players

76ers

Tyrese Maxey – Last Game: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Paul George – Last Game: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
VJ Edgecombe – Last Game: 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists

Knicks

Jalen Brunson – Last Game: 35 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists
Karl-Anthony Towns – Last Game: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists
OG Anunoby – Last Game: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Braxton Reynolds

Braxton has been covering the NBA for Lineups since the 2022 season. He's worked with multiple collegiate coaching staffs regarding analytics and scouting, which has allowed him to understand the game on a deeper level. Braxton also currently writes about the Oklahoma City Thunder for Thunder Roundtable.