Knicks at 76ers: Jaylen Brown questionable, LeBron James and Joel Embiid expected for Cup opener

The Knicks look likely to see Philadelphia close to full strength on Friday night. LeBron James and Joel Embiid were both left off the 76ers' injury report for the NBA Cup group-stage opener at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The one open question is Jaylen Brown, who is listed as questionable with left knee soreness, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported.

Brown has carried a heavy load early. He has played in all five of Philadelphia's games, averaging 36.3 minutes, fourth-most in the league, along with 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Liberty Ballers of SB Nation noted that nothing obvious happened to him in the win at Indiana, though he played only 34 minutes that night. ESPN lists him as a game-time decision. VJ Edgecombe, back from an abdominal contusion, is also off the report.

The choice to play James and Embiid together matters for New York. Philadelphia plays at Charlotte on Saturday, and on its first back-to-back of the season it split the two stars, with Embiid playing one night and James the other. This time, Liberty Ballers wrote, the national Prime Video window and the league's player participation policy, which the Sixers have already run afoul of, make sitting either player costly. That outlet also expects Philadelphia to save its rest for the Hornets and use its full group against what it called "the defending champions."

Philadelphia's frontcourt depth is still thin. Dominick Barlow (lower back stress reaction), Jabari Walker (left patellar tendinopathy), Tacko Fall (left quadriceps strain) and Ariel Hukporti (right Achilles tear) are all listed as out.

What it means for Friday

This is a rematch of opening night, when the 76ers won 106-100 at the Garden. That loss started an 0-3 run for the Knicks, with an 111-102 home loss to Orlando and a 107-103 defeat at Boston to follow. New York has since steadied, beating Detroit 111-97 at home and then winning 133-127 at Chicago, to get to 2-3. Philadelphia comes in at 4-1. It is the first Cup night of the season, and the Sixers have never made it out of group play in the event's first three years.

Even so, the board has the Knicks as slight road favorites. Novig, one of 12 venues listed, prices New York at -115 on the moneyline and Philadelphia at +113. BetRivers has the best Sixers price at +114, so there is almost no gap between venues on that side. The spread is New York -2.5, with Novig at +106 on the Knicks and -111 on the Philadelphia side. The total is 227.5 at Novig, with the over at -104 and the under at -100. FanDuel's best under is at 228.5, priced at -108. Sportsbook hold on the game ranges from about 3 to 5 percent across markets.

If Brown can't play, Philadelphia loses its minutes leader and a starter on the wing, and the Knicks' small edge would likely grow. If he does play, New York faces the full starting five that beat it eight days ago, with two straight wins behind it this time.