76ers vs Knicks Picks, Odds & Best Bets: NBA Opening Night, October 20, 2026

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The Knicks raise a championship banner tonight, and LeBron James is in the building in a Sixers jersey. Jaylen Brown too. And Philly is getting five and a half? I’ll take the points. The Sixers won both of their regular-season trips to MSG last year, and that was before the new guys showed up.

The Matchup

• Banner night at the Garden. The Knicks are the defending champions. They beat San Antonio 4-1 in the Finals and raise the banner before tip.
• Philly reloaded. LeBron James (20.9 points, 7.2 assists with the Lakers last season) and Jaylen Brown (28.7 points with Boston) join Tyrese Maxey (28.3 points) and Joel Embiid (26.9 points in 38 games). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anfernee Simons are new too.
• The Garden has been good to Philly. The Sixers won 116-107 and 130-119 at MSG last season. The Knicks won both games in Philadelphia, including a 138-89 blowout in February.
• The Knicks run it back. Jalen Brunson (26 points), Karl-Anthony Towns (20 and 11.8 boards), Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart are all back. New York outscored teams by 6.4 a game, and Philly was dead even.
• Tip-off. 7:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden, on NBC.

Injuries

Anfernee Simons (hamstring) and big man Adem Bona (foot) are both questionable for tonight. LeBron, Brown, Embiid and Caldwell-Pope all rested in a preseason game last week, so watch the final report. The Knicks have nobody listed.

The Number

Five and a half is a lot of respect for a team that was more than six points a game better than Philly last season, when the Sixers didn’t have LeBron or Brown. If Embiid plays, Philly has as much top-end talent as anybody in the building.

The honest case against: new teams take time, and the Knicks have played together for years. If Embiid sits, this gets harder. It’s a Game Pick, a lean, and like every pick we post, it lands on the receipts page win or lose. Our first NBA season, so these are leans while we build the record.

Bottom Line

Take the 76ers plus five and a half at . Lean. Too much talent to be getting this many points, and Philly won both regular-season trips to the Garden last year. Sixers and the points.

Lines as posted Monday at 12:30 PM ET; we recheck prices and the injury report Tuesday morning. Confirm them before tip.

Same-Game Parlay

One read in three legs. If Philly keeps it within five and a half, Tyrese Maxey is probably doing what he did at MSG last year, and Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring, not passing. Every leg needs the same game, so this is one position, not three bets.

Price: check your sportsbook for SGP pricing. Lines as posted Monday at 12:30 PM ET; confirm them before you build the ticket. This parlay is a Game Pick. Player props not available in all states.

Best Props for This Game

Bets beyond the spread, from either side. It’s opening night, so the trends come from last season’s games. These are Game Pick props, separate bets from our pick, so keep them small. We’ll recheck every player against Tuesday’s injury report before tip.

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