New York dominated the regular season series against the Philadelphia 76ers, but will that translate on to the postseason? The two teams clash in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference 1st Round match-up on Saturday and it promises to be an epic battle. Tip-off is at 6 pm ET on ESPN, continue reading below to see my Same Game Parlay for the game!
For predictions on the side and total for the rest of NBA Playoffs games happening this weekend simply visit our NBA Picks page. Let's dive into my SGP bet now!
OG Anunoby Over 4.5 Rebounds (+124)
Anunoby has been up and down in the last month or so, but that's mainly due to injury. He successfully returned to the line-up in the last 2 weeks of the season, even playing 43 minutes on the final day against the Bulls which is a good sign. He cleared this line in 2 of his last 3 games vs Chicago and Boston, I think the Knicks will look to rely on his physicality down low as he is one of their stronger wing players. Game 1 could easily become a slug fest between two of the more elite defensive teams we have in the NBA. In 4 of his last 6 games vs the 76ers, Anunoby finished with 4 boards, with enough minutes he should be able to clear this line.
Tyrese Maxey to Score 25+ Points (+150)
Maxey had a strong finish to the season averaging 26.4 points per game over his final 10 appearances, that number would have been a lot higher if it wasn't for that Memphis game where he had just 7 points in 25 minutes. Regardless, from Philadelphia's perspective it's great to see him maintaining his numbers despite Joel Embiid returning from injury and taking away a decent chunk of Maxey's shot attempts. I'm expecting the Knicks to try and push the tempo in Game 1 which would wear down Embiid who is not yet at 100% following his injury, in that type of environment Maxey should thrive. He's cleared this line in 5 of the last 8 meetings with the Knicks, while averaging 24.4 points per game during that stretch. Philadelphia's rotation should shrink a bit compared to the regular season, I wouldn't be shocked if Maxey plays 40+ minutes here and if that's the case he can most definitely get to 25 points.