NBA Odds: Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction, pick, how to watch
The series is tied at one game apiece as the New York Knicks come home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a game three Cavaliers-Knicks prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Game one was a 101-97 win for the Knicks, but game two was an unmitigated disaster for New York. The Knicks had the lead towards the end of the first quarter and were down just two with 9:23 left in the second, but Cleveland opened up a 7-0 run and took control. By halftime, the Knicks were down 20, and the Cavs kept the pressure on to come away with the win. R.J. Barrett has not been good in the series, and according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, clearly, the loss is all his fault. This was projected to be a close series though, and the Knicks still have a chance to take the lead in it once again.
Here are the Cavaliers-Knicks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Playoffs Odds: Cavaliers-Knicks Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +2 (-110)
New York Knicks: -2 (-110)
Over: 211 (-108)
Under: 211 (-112)
How To Watch Cavaliers vs. Knicks
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cavaliers bounced back hugely in game two. After a tightly contested loss in game one, they improved on a few things and won game two with ease. First was the shooting percentage. In game one the Cavs shot just 43.4% while going 32.3% from three. In game two, they jumped to 49.4% and 42.4% from three. Meanwhile, they improved on defense, dropping the Knicks’ shooting percentage from 42% to 36.7%. Free throws were a killer for the Cavs in game one. They missed 6 of 21 free throws and lost by four. In this one, they only missed four free throws, improving by nearly ten percentage points.
Rebounding also changed for the Cavs. They were dominated on the glass in the first game, losing the rebounding battle 51-38. Conversely, they took the rebounding battle 43-36 in game two. Finally, they moved the ball better. Nowhere else does it show more than the assist numbers. They went from 20 assists to 26 in game two. Ultimately, this changed from the Cavs losing, to the Cavs leading game two by 29 points at one point and getting the win.
Two major improvements in the individual come from Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Mobley had two more rebounds, two more blocks, one more steal, and five more points. He went from the team being +9 with him on the court to +15 in game two. Garland added six more assists, three more rebounds, one less turnover, and 15 more points to his totals. This went from him being -3 to +29. If those two continue what they did in game two, plus another productive game from Chris LeVert, the Cavs will win again.
Why The Knicks Could Cover The Spread
The Knicks need to get back to game one. It was not so much a decline from the starting five though. As much as RJ Barrett was ripped for his bad performance, and game one was bad for him, he was better in game two. He shot better and did not turn over the ball. Julius Randle had two fewer rebounds, but scored three more points and had a similar line. Jalen Brunson was the biggest difference from the starters. He went from +2 to -10 when he was on the court. His defense was suspect in game two, and he only hit one of eight three-point attempts. He turnover over the ball twice, and was not as good.
The biggest issue was the bench. The Bench in game one was a combined +42 when they were on the court. In game two, they were -48. They scored 37 points in game one, and just 26 in game two. The Knicks bench garnered 22 rebounds in the first game and 12 in the second. Even more, it was the bench that was in when the Cavs went on their first run, and ultimately they could not come out of that hole.
Someone needs to take charge of the Knicks. In game one, Jalen Brunson did some of that with 27 points, but he did not contribute heavily in assists or rebounds. He also was not great on the defensive end of the court. Quentin Grimes also needs to do, anything. He averaged 11.3 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in the regular season. In two games he has a combined nine points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Only the rebounding numbers are near his season average. If Grimes can step up and Rangle or Brunson can take over, the Knicks can win game three.
Final Cavaliers-Knicks Prediction & Pick
This should be a tighter game, as suggested by the line. The big question will be how will the Knicks respond after the horrible outing in game two. When the Knicks lost in the regular season by 15 or more points, they won the next game all four times. If they can respond like that in game three, they will be just fine. The bench needs to be better, and so does Grimes. That happens. Game three is much more similar to game two, and the Knicks get a win.
Final Cavaliers-Knicks Prediction & Pick: Knicks -2 (-110)
