This 76ers vs. Knicks prediction covers the opening game of the 2026-27 NBA season at Madison Square Garden. New York raises its championship banner before tip-off, and Philadelphia arrives with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in new uniforms. The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites with the total at 232.5. They swept this matchup in May, but the roster across from them looks very different now. Our read weighs availability, pace and a market that has drifted toward the visitors, and our picks follow below.
Last Updated: October 20, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks — Game Info
| Where | Madison Square Garden, New York NY |
| When | October 20 – 7:00 PM ET |
| TV | NBC |
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Betting Preview
Availability shapes this number first. Philadelphia has ruled out Dominick Barlow, Tacko Fall and Ariel Hukporti, who tore his Achilles in the first preseason game. Adem Bona (foot), Dean Wade (ankle) and Anfernee Simons (hamstring) are all questionable. Joel Embiid is not on the report, and Nick Nurse said his center is ready to go. LeBron James is also absent from the report and is expected to make his Sixers debut.
New York’s side is cleaner. Josh Hart sat the preseason finale with ankle soreness, but Mike Brown said he does not expect it to affect Hart’s status. The Knicks list no injuries. The bigger change is structural. Mitchell Robinson left for Boston in free agency, and New York added veteran center Andre Drummond on a one-year deal.
Last season set a clear baseline. The Knicks went 53-29 with a 119.8 offensive rating and 113.3 defensive rating. Then they beat San Antonio in the Finals for the franchise’s first championship since 1973. Philadelphia finished 45-37 at 115.4 and 115.5, essentially a break-even team per 100 possessions. The Sixers rallied from 3-1 down to beat Boston in the first round. Then they lost four straight to New York.
Pace matters here as well. New York played at 96.8 possessions per 48 minutes last season, while Philadelphia ran at 99.4. Fewer possessions put more weight on efficiency, and that favors the side with the better half-court offense.
Philadelphia’s makeover, one of the offseason moves reshaping the title race, is the wild card. The Sixers acquired Brown from Boston in a trade that sent Paul George the other way. Then they signed James for his 24th NBA season. The projected starting five is Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid. According to The Inquirer, that group played together in only one preseason game.
The total shows similarly modest movement. It opened at 231.5 in August and now sits at 232.5. Philadelphia’s new core adds shot creation, and Nurse said his starters have been pushing in transition. On the other hand, New York’s slow tempo and 113.3 defensive rating pull the other way. That tension leaves the number close to fair, with no clear edge on either side of it.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76ers | +4.5 (-110) | +145 | O 232.5 (-110) |
| Knicks | -4.5 (-110) | -170 | U 232.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of October 20, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NBA Odds – Futures – Props
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks — Who Is the Public Betting?
| 76ers | 72% | 28% | Knicks |
See the latest NBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
76ers vs. Knicks Prediction — Does LeBron Change Last May’s Sweep Math?
The case for New York starts with recent history. The Knicks won the last six meetings, including a second-round sweep that ended 144-114 in Philadelphia. That Game 4 featured an NBA playoff-record 11 threes in the first quarter. Shooting runs like that do not repeat on command. Still, the process gap was real. New York posted a +6.5 net rating last season, while Philadelphia sat at -0.1.
One caveat softens that sweep. Embiid missed Game 2 of the series with ankle and hip injuries, and Fox 29 described his year as injury-riddled. A healthier Embiid alongside James and Brown is a different opponent. Even so, New York’s edge rests on more than one series. The Knicks’ 119.8 offensive rating was 4.4 points per 100 possessions better than Philadelphia’s over a full season.
The market has moved the other way. This spread opened at Knicks -5.5 in August and now sits at -4.5. The moneyline drifted from -195 to -170 over the same stretch. However, 72% of spread tickets are on Philadelphia, so the move follows the public rather than fighting it. That is ordinary book balancing, not a sharp signal. At -170, the moneyline implies about a 63% win probability for New York, while +145 implies roughly 41% for Philadelphia. In contrast, it does hand Knicks backers a cheaper number than the opener.
The case against is easy to see. Four of Philadelphia’s projected starters averaged more than 20 points last season, and that talent can swing any single game. New York must also replace Robinson’s minutes. Our read is that cohesion and depth favor the Knicks on night one. Meanwhile, Philly’s thin frontcourt leaves little margin if Embiid sits or gets in foul trouble. The -110 price asks for a 52.4% hit rate, so we rate this a lean rather than a strong play.
The Pick: Knicks -4.5 (-110)
76ers vs. Knicks Prediction — Who Holds the Paint Behind Embiid?
Rebounding is where Philadelphia’s injury list bites hardest. With Hukporti, Fall and Barlow out and Bona questionable, Embiid has little proven size behind him. Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 11.9 rebounds in 75 games last season. He also grabbed 15 in the preseason finale against Toronto. With Robinson gone, fewer of New York’s available boards go to another rim-running big.
The counterpoints are real. Embiid will contest the defensive glass whenever he is on the floor, and Drummond will take some rebounds in his stints. A 13-rebound night sits above Towns’ season average, and +120 requires roughly a 45.5% hit rate. We see the edge as thin but present. This market leans on the same frontcourt injuries as the side, so the two picks are not independent.
The Pick: Karl-Anthony Towns To Record 13+ Rebounds (+120)
Our Final Word on 76ers vs. Knicks
Opening night carries extra noise, from a banner ceremony to a new-look roster still finding its rhythm. Our picks lean on the steadier team and the clearest availability edge. Both rest on Philadelphia’s frontcourt health, so a late status change for Bona or Embiid would shift each read.
Knicks -4.5 (-110) is the featured play because New York’s +6.5 net rating comes at a point cheaper than the August opener. Karl-Anthony Towns To Record 13+ Rebounds (+120) follows because Philadelphia has little healthy size behind Embiid.
NBA 76ers vs. Knicks FAQ: October 20, 2026
What time does the 76ers vs. Knicks game start?
The 76ers vs. Knicks game tips off at 7:00 PM ET on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. NBC’s coverage begins at 6:30 PM ET, which includes the Knicks raising their championship banner before the season opener. Both teams enter 0-0, and the game is part of NBC’s opening-night tripleheader.
What channel is the 76ers vs. Knicks game on?
The 76ers vs. Knicks game airs nationally on NBC. It is part of the network’s opening-night tripleheader, and the Philadelphia at New York game is the primetime matchup on Tuesday, October 20. Coverage starts at 6:30 PM ET, ahead of the 7:00 PM ET tip at Madison Square Garden.
How can I stream the 76ers vs. Knicks game?
You can stream the 76ers vs. Knicks game on Peacock, which carries NBC’s national NBA coverage. The game is also available through live TV streaming services that carry your local NBC station. Peacock streams the full opening-night tripleheader, so the same subscription covers all three games on Tuesday night.
Who won the last meeting between the 76ers and Knicks?
The Knicks won the last meeting 144-114 on May 10, 2026, in Philadelphia. That Game 4 victory completed a 4-0 sweep in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and New York went on to win the NBA championship. The sweep came one round after Philadelphia rallied from a 3-1 deficit to eliminate Boston.
How did the 76ers and Knicks fare against each other last season?
The 76ers and Knicks split their four regular-season meetings 2-2 last season, with each team winning twice on the road. New York then swept Philadelphia 4-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That means the Knicks have won six straight meetings heading into Tuesday’s season opener at Madison Square Garden.