NBA best bets: 76ers vs. Knicks picks, prediction for Tuesday, March 12

76ers vs. Knicks Picks, Prediction, Odds

Tuesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m., TNT
Pick: Knicks -5 (DraftKings)

Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here.

76ers Betting Outlook

Tyrese Maxey (concussion), who missed Philadelphia's past four games, is finally returning. The 76ers will continue to be without Joel Embiid (knee), De'Anthony Melton (back) and Robert Covington (knee). Regardless, Maxey will provide an immediate boost to the offense.

The 76ers have had difficulties without Embiid, but Maxey has kept them afloat. In all lineups with Maxey on and Embiid off, the 76ers have a +0.4 Point differential, per Cleaning the Glass. They've scored fine, but the defense has suffered a bit.

Since the All-Star Break, Philadelphia is 4-6 with a -5.1 Net Rating and that's not all just because Maxey was out either. In the six games he played prior to injury, the 76ers were 3-3 with a -6.8 Net Rating.

Part of that is due to the 76ers' poor performance shooting the basketball. While they have a slightly above average expected field-goal percentage (55.7%), their actual field-goal percentage is just 49.2%, the second-worst mark in the league. By contrast, their allowed FG% is 54%, but their eFG% allowed is 56.4%, the fourth-worst mark in the league, per Cleaning the Glass.

Knicks Betting Outlook

The Knicks continue to be without Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle), but received the great news that OG Anunoby (elbow) is expected to return to face off against the 76ers, per Shams Charania.

Anunoby's return should immediately boost both the offense and defense. He is an excellent cutter, an excellent corner-3 shooting threat and can get his own shot. Anunoby is an absurd +30 points per 100 possessions in 495 minutes for the Knicks this season. He's a perfect fit for this team and they desperately need him back to help reduce Josh Hart's minutes.

The Knicks have had similar struggles as the 76ers. On offense, they have the third-worst FG% (49.2%) compared to their ninth-best expected eFG% (55.9%). Since the All-Star Break, they are -3.0 in Net Rating with a 4-5 record as they've struggled to score. In that span, the Knicks have the 27th-ranked offense and are scoring just 108.9 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass.

76ers vs. Knicks Prediction

Pick: Knicks -5

When these teams played Sunday, it was a disgusting display of basketball that culminated in a 79-73 Philadelphia win. The Knicks had an eFG% of 38.1% and the Sixers were at 45.5%. The Knicks had 19 turnovers and broke even from 3-point range, despite taking 10 more 3s than Philadelphia.

Although both teams are returning a star (Maxey and Anunoby), the Knicks have more room to improve from their most recent game. I lean toward the over, but I'll lay the points with the Knicks as they are 22-14 ATS as a favorite this season.

Pick: Knicks -5