As we approach NBA All-Star Weekend, we get a monster slate with 28 of the 30 teams in action on Thursday, including the Knicks heading to Philadelphia on the second night of a back-to-back.
New York Knicks @ Philadelphia 76ers
The Knicks are coming off a disappointing home loss to the Pacers, one of the worst defensive teams in the league. The overtime defeat only makes matters tougher, with New York needing to travel to Philadelphia without rest.
The 76ers are also off a shock loss to Portland. They’ll be eager to respond, but the status of Joel Embiid remains unclear despite his strong recent form.
LEG 1 - Jalen Brunson 25+ Points
Brunson is averaging 23.7 points per game across his last 24 appearances. That figure includes the Kings game where he played just five minutes due to injury. Remove that outing and he’s averaging 25.1 points across his last 23 games.
He dropped 40 points in the overtime loss to Indiana and has scored 30+ in three of his last four games. Across that 23-game sample, Brunson has cleared 25+ points in 16 contests.
He also put up 31 points against Philadelphia just three weeks ago.
LEG 2 - Josh Hart Over 22.5 PRA
Hart is coming off a triple-double against the Pacers, making this PRA line look modest.
Over the last three weeks he’s averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5 assists, a combined PRA of 25.9 per game.
He recorded a PRA of 30 in his last meeting with the 76ers and has cleared 22.5 PRA in seven of his last ten games.
LEG 3 - VJ Edgecombe 4+ Rebounds
Edgecombe’s rebound numbers increase by 5% when Paul George is out, averaging 5.7 boards across 25 games in that scenario this season.
He has recorded 4+ rebounds in 21 of those 25 games and is averaging 7.3 rebounds across his last four games without George.
Same Game Multi
Brunson 25+ Points / Hart Over 22.5 PRA / Edgecombe 4+ Rebounds = $3.75
Value Bet
Josh Hart Double Double @ $4.30
Hart is coming off a triple-double and his most recent double-double was against Philadelphia on January 21, where he recorded 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The 76ers concede rebounds to small forwards at a rate 17% above league average over the last month, the third-easiest matchup in the NBA. After pulling down 11 boards against Indiana, Hart should again find plenty of opportunities on the glass.
