76ers vs. Knicks Early Prediction & Picks: NBA Odds for Opening Night (Oct. 20)

LeBron James is expected to make his 76ers regular-season debut on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as Philadelphia visits the defending-champion Knicks. My 76ers vs. Knicks early prediction is based on Philadelphia likely needing some time to build chemistry, and my NBA picks also expect this to be a low-scoring game. Tipoff from Madison Square Garden in New York is set for 7 p.m. ET (NBC).

🏀 76ers vs. Knicks early picks & odds: Opening night

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds.

🏆 Who will win 76ers vs. Knicks?

I like the Knicks to beat the 76ers by seven points on opening night. New York is the defending champion, is at home, and is more of a known commodity than Philadelphia at this point. While the 76ers will likely be a top-two team in the East, we've seen far too many examples - like Paul George and Carmelo Anthony going to the Thunder, and George and Kawhi Leonard going to the Clippers - of star players going to new teams and underperforming.

Score prediction: Knicks 118, 76ers 111

💰 76ers vs. Knicks early prediction & best bet

Knicks -4.5 (-110)

James and Jaylen Brown are 76ers now, so this team is a legit title contender. However, it'll likely take time for Philadelphia to build chemistry.

Teams have also historically struggled early in the season when bringing in James. The Lakers went 3-8 ATS in their first 11 games in 2018-19, and the Cavaliers went 4-8 ATS in their first 12 in 2014-15. I'm not saying that guarantees a Knicks cover, but it does show that the market is usually too optimistic about James' impact early on.

Knicks -4.5 (-110) is the best line available among the top NBA betting sites.

🔥 More 76ers vs. Knicks picks

Under 232.5 (-115)

Betting Overs on opening night just feels like a losing strategy. Both Overs hit last season on opening night, but the first game (Rockets vs. Thunder) went to double overtime, and the second (Warriors vs. Lakers) went over by just a half-point.

Forget league-wide systems, though. The Knicks were an elite defense last season, and it's unlikely that'll drastically change. New York ranked fourth in defensive efficiency and allowed the third-fewest points per game (108.4). Under 232.5 (-115) at FanDuel is the best line available among the top sports betting sites.

🚀 76ers vs. Knicks same-game parlay

Parlaying these two bets at DraftKings pays +238. (Note: DK's total is lower than FanDuel's, but it's better to take the lower total than to parlay Knicks -5.5 at FD.)

💡 How I'm betting 76ers vs. Knicks: NBA opening night strategy

Follow all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

It's tough to handicap a team that we haven't seen play yet. We're confident that the 76ers are a top-two team in the East, but how long will it take them to reach their full potential? We have a history of teams struggling early in the season after signing James, so directionally, it's probably best to fade the 76ers until we get better data.

📊 Live 76ers vs. Knicks odds: Opening night

FanDuel opened this line on Aug. 11 as Knicks -5.5 (-110). While FD has since moved to Knicks -5.5 (-115), the rest of the board is pretty much painted Knicks -4.5 (-110).

I expect this to close at Knicks -5.5 across the board, barring any major injuries. Per the NBA championship odds, the market has pretty much decided that the 76ers and Knicks will be even teams heading into the playoffs, but the 76ers will likely be downgraded early in the season until James and Brown look 100% comfortable in the offense.

📈 76ers vs. Knicks betting trends 2025-26

(Note: Trends/stats include 2025-26 playoffs.)

🚑 76ers vs. Knicks injuries

📺 How to watch 76ers vs. Knicks: Opening night

• Date: Tuesday, Oct. 20
• Tipoff: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
• TV: NBC