Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction, odds, line, spread, time: 2023 NBA picks, Nov. 1 best bets from proven model
The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks meet at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday evening. These teams met in the 2023 NBA playoffs and also squared off just 24 hours previous in a matchup in Cleveland. The Knicks won Tuesday's game by an 18-point margin. Neither Darius Garland (hamstring), nor Jarrett Allen (ankle) appeared for Cleveland on Tuesday, with lingering injury concerns heading into the rematch.
Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET in New York. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists New York as the 6.5-point favorite, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 211 in the latest Knicks vs. Cavaliers odds. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Knicks picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five seasons. The model enters Week 2 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a 77-41 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Cavs and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Cavs vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers spread: Knicks -6.5
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers over/under: 211 points
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers money line: Knicks -274, Cavaliers +225
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 18-23-3 against the spread in the last 44 road games
- NYK: The Knicks are 21-22-4 against the spread in the last 47 home games
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Cleveland is leading the NBA in ball security to begin the season, committing only 11.5 turnovers per game. The Cavs are also near the top of the league in fast break points (16.5 per game), and Cleveland is coming off a 2022-23 season in which the team shot 48.8% from the field to rank in the top five. On defense, the Cavaliers have been even better over a large sample, leading the league in defensive efficiency (109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) and assists allowed (23.0 per game) last season. Cleveland was also in the top five in 3-pointers allowed, turnover creation, and second-chance points allowed in 2022-23, and the Cavaliers are blocking 6.5 shots per game to begin this season.
The Cavaliers should also benefit from the hiccups of New York's offense, particularly when it comes to shooting inside the 3-point arc. The Knicks are currently last in the NBA in field goal percentage (41.3%) and 2-point percentage (44.4%), and New York is also No. 25 in the league with 22.8 assists per game. See which team to pick here.
Why the Knicks can cover
New York dominated the first matchup between the teams this season, cruising to a lopsided win on Tuesday. The Knicks held the Cavaliers to 39% shooting from the field and 26% from 3-point range, and Cleveland had only 19 assists compared to 15 turnovers. New York generated more than twice as many free throw attempts (25) than Cleveland (12) in the game, and the Knicks asserted their will on the offensive glass by securing 34.0% of missed shots.
The Knicks are in the top six of the NBA in 3-pointers (14.5 per game) while making 37.2% of 3-point attempts this season, and New York is tremendous in putting pressure on the offensive glass. In addition to a 34.0% offensive rebound rate on Tuesday, the Knicks have a 33.2% offensive rebound rate for the season while averaging 17.8 second-chance points per game. Last season, New York was also consistently fantastic on offense, including top-five marks in offensive rating (117.0), free throw creation (25.5 attempts per game), and turnover avoidance (13.0 per game). See which team to pick here.
How to make Knicks vs. Cavaliers picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 220 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
