Knicks at 76ers: Brown is out, and Maxey and Embiid pick up the shots.
Orange = Don-K's picksTeal = names and things to watch
Alright, Kulture Kast, the defending champs are in Philadelphia, and the 76ers are without Jaylen Brown. His knee went from questionable to doubtful this afternoon, and I'm treating him as out. The Knicks are the 1.5-point favorite.
The snapshot
| Knicks | 76ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | -1.5 | +1.5 |
| Total | 227.5 | 227.5 |
| Implied points | 114.5 | 113.0 |
Spread and total from the Kulture Kast NBA dashboard, Friday 5:38 PM ET (CBS Sports odds). The line was set before Brown's downgrade, so watch for it to move. Books differ, so check yours.
Brown out: who takes the shots
Brown projects for about 32 minutes and 25 points. My dashboard re-splits them like this: Tyrese Maxey goes from 33 to 38 minutes and 24 to about 28 points. Joel Embiid goes from 31 to 35 minutes and 25 to 29. LeBron James goes from 30 to 35 minutes and 19 to 22, and VJ Edgecombe goes from 29 to 34 minutes and 13 to 15.
Knicks without Alvarado
Jose Alvarado (ankle) is out, which means Landry Shamet (25 projected minutes) and Miles McBride (16) cover the guard rotation behind Jalen Brunson, who projects for about 37 minutes and 27 points. Karl-Anthony Towns was not on the injury report and projects for the biggest rebound line in the game, 12. Josh Hart gets about 33 minutes.
Quick hits around the league
Lakers at Warriors (10:00 PM ET): the dashboard has Golden State by 2.5 and a 234.5 total. Check the report before you play anything late.
Pacers at Heat (8:00 PM ET): Miami by 7.5 with the highest total of the night, 237.5. Bulls at Celtics (7:30 PM ET): Boston by 15.5, the biggest spread on the slate.
The Board: Don-K's plays for tonight
Tyrese Maxey over 23.5 points at 1.90 · Kast It: Love
Model median is near 24 with Brown in and about 28 with Brown out. With the 5-point minutes bump, I have this over about 72 percent. Best price on Outlier, and it shows this over in all of his last 5 and in 7 of his last 10. The risk: Philly leans on Embiid and LeBron instead.
Josh Hart over 22.5 points + rebounds + assists at 1.93 · Kast It: Love
Model median is 25. I have this over about 63 percent. Best price on Outlier, and it shows this over in 6 of his last 10. The risk: a blowout either way cuts the fourth quarter.
Without Brown the 76ers run through Maxey and Embiid, and the champs have the deeper rotation. The Knicks cover the 1.5.
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See Kast KlubIdeas are for entertainment and informational purposes only and are not guarantees. Lines and injuries change, so check them before you play. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.