NBA Free Picks – New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

When the Sixers signed Elton Brand to a mega contract, it became evident that Philadelphia had no idea what it was doing. They have $38.5 million devoted to Brand, Igoudala and Dalembert and none of those three are ever going to take over a playoff series, let alone lead the Sixers out of this gutter they have found themselves in.

Of course, the $63 million that the Sixers are paying their roster seems like peanuts when the Knicks have $86 million committed to their payroll this season and have just three more wins.

New York has fallen out of betting favor even with the general public because of a 2-5 SU/ATS record on the road in their last 7 tries. A tight NBA betting line against the Sixers seems inviting on a few fronts, however.

New York Knicks (15-22) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (12-25)

Wednesday, January 13 th — Wachovia Center, Philadelphia — 7:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: Philadelphia -2.5 (202.5)

The Knicks, as expected, thrive on perimeter shooting and Philadelphia is one of the worst teams at defending the three-ball. In fact, they’re just one of the worst defensive teams period, ranking 22 nd when playing at home as teams pour in 100.4 points against per game. It’s not hard to believe, especially with a defense anchored by the inconsistent play of Dalembert and the sloppy game of Brand, but the Sixers are a paltry 2-14 ATS when playing at home.

The only reason that the Sixers are getting a slight nod is because they’re 9-1 SU in their last 10 games against New York, while holding down an 8-2 ATS record during that same stretch. The Sixers have also been playing moderately well with wins over New Orleans, Detroit and Denver in their past five.

NBA Betting Trends

• New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
• New York is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
• New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
• Philadelphia is 2-14 ATS in its last 16 games at home
• Philadelphia is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia’s last 6 games at home
• Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York

The Knicks have not only been a better defensive team in the past month of basketball betting, but they’ve also been a much more stable scoring unit. Danilo Gallinari isn’t going to be an all-world player during his career, but for now he leads the league with 97 3-pointers. Almost all of New York’s scoring is off of mid-to-long range jumpers and Philadelphia’s perimeter defense is nothing short of a disaster.

What this game comes down to, in the end, is that Philadelphia is still 37 games in to the season with no idea who they are. At the very least, the New York Knicks have bought in to Mike D’Antoni’s system and play it to the best of their potential. You can count on David Lee and Al Harrington bullying Dalembert and Brand all day, while D’Antoni’s offense keeps Philadelphia on its heels searching for answers as they watch the Knicks runaway with the score.

Furious Free Pick: NYK +2.5 (UNDER)