For the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks will hang a championship banner in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, and then they'll open their 2026-27 NBA season at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks swept the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season on the way to the championship, but the Sixers will look quite different after trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron James. The latest Knicks vs. 76ers odds list New York as the 4.5-point favorite at home, and the over/under is 231.5. Claim the Kalshi promo code CBSSPORTS55 here now and get a $55 bonus after $25 in trades:
Tipoff for 76ers vs. Knicks is set for 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. SportsLine's proven computer model and one of its experts have analyzed NBA Opening Night and revealed their Knicks vs. 76ers predictions, and you can also read our NBA betting preview for Tuesday's matchup. Claim the latest Polymarket promo code CBSSPORTS to get a $25 bonus after $10 in trades:
Knicks vs. 76ers betting preview
The New York Knicks won championships in 1969 and 1973, but then went dormant for more than 50 years despite being one of the league's most popular franchises and making dozens of playoff appearances. After three straight Eastern Conference semifinals exits under Tom Thibodeau, Mike Brown was finally able to unlock the magic of Jalen Brunson and the rest of the roster. Brunson won NBA Finals MVP honors in a 4-1 triumph over the Knicks and begins the season as a +5000 longshot to win NBA MVP this season.
Meanwhile, the 76ers have pushed all their chips to the center of the table in an effort to end a 44-year title drought of their own. Brown and James join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe in a loaded starting five that now features two former NBA MVPs (James and Embiid), two other all-stars (Brown and Maxey) and an All-Rookie selection from a season ago. However, can the Sixers stay healthy enough over the course of an 82-game season and do they have the needed depth to survive the East? Claim $200 in bonus bets and three free months of NBA League Pass after your first $5 wager at DraftKings here:
Knicks vs. 76ers picks, best bets
- Knicks -4.5 (-115)
- Under 232.5 points (-115)
Knicks -4.5 (-115)
The 76ers surprised everyone by eliminating the Celtics in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, but came crashing back to earth while being swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That prompted to franchise to take some big swings this offseason, as they traded for Jaylen Brown and convinced LeBron James to sign a modest contract in free agency. However, the Knicks have still won 13 of 16 head-to-head matchups over the last three seasons including the playoffs and nine of those wins were by double-digits. The model predicts that New York covers in 57% of simulations. Bet on the NBA at bet365 with bonus code CBSBET365 and get $200 in bonus bets after betting $10:
Under 232.5 points (-115)
This 76ers lineup has the potential to be one of the best in NBA history, but it's going to take some time for them to figure out how to effectively share the basketball with that many mouths to feed. Meanwhile, the Knicks ranked 27th in the NBA in pace last season, and they'll be more than happy to take some air out of the ball and play a half-court game. The Sixers ranked 15th in pace last season, and now a soon-to-be 42-year-old is likely to be one of the primary ballhandlers. The model predicts that these two teams combine to score 225 points on average and that the Under hits in 61% of simulations. Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets: