The last New York Knicks game saw them come away with a win courtesy of Josh Hart. It was the next man up for them, and they were able to get it done. The NBA playoffs odds for them got a lot better pretty quickly once they proved they would be able to steal a road contest. It’s a team that undoubtedly plays hard and may have NBA pundits starting to believe in them.
The Cleveland Cavaliers injury report is thankfully blank, but they still got no bench help in the series opener. NBA expert picks could not have foreseen the lack of performance outside that of star player Donovan Mitchell.
When looking at Knicks vs Cavaliers best bets, it’s important to remember that a lot of their top players have never been here before.
Knicks vs. Cavaliers Odds
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Information
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Location of the game: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH.
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 PM EST.
How to Watch: TNT
Recent Scores
New York won the first game of the series 101-97. Game 2 on the NBA schedule comes three days later and will likely feature both teams keeping their starting lineups the same.
The NBA team stats were not good for the Cavs “other guys,” and that was a major storyline over the course of the first 48 minutes. It’s hard to say if the NBA odds will reflect the changes ahead of the next contest, but they certainly should.
Jalen Brunson’s NBA player stats keep impressing, and he helped them close out game 1.
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Analysis
Unfortunately for New York, they are going to be without Josh Hart for game 2. He hit the shot that put them ahead for good, and it will make the NBA matchups in this one a bit different. He was the best reserve between the two sides and wound up with a double-double. Hart had a lot to say postgame and talked about stepping up as needed.
On the Cleveland side of things, they will not have any injury excuses to make and it will be vital to play hard from the start. As great as Donovan Mitchell was, they did lose a number of games when he was at his best. And as a result of that, the role players were sitting around watching him take over. That isn’t winning ball. The team is new to the playoff scene as they haven’t made it without LeBron in 25 years.
Looking at the Knicks vs Cavaliers best bets, it may be time to look at second-tier guys.
Odds Breakdown
New York Knicks
- Moneyline: +180
- Spread: +5.5
- Over/Under: Over 213.5
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Moneyline: -215
- Spread: -5.5
- Over/Under: Under 213.5
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland CavaliersBetting Pick and Prediction
Pick 1: Cavs -5.5
The first of two Knicks vs Cavaliers best bets would have to be going with the Cavs spread. They just lost one at home, so they will come out playing a little harder. Behind for much of it, they took the lead inside of three minutes and it was a bit of a blur. It happened fast and New York didn’t know what hit them. But, they came right down and wound up with a three-point make.
With this being game 2, they have taken New York’s first punch and will give theirs. Mitchell was unstoppable, so if one other player joins him on the pedestal, it’s a tied series just like that.
Pick 2: Under 213.5
When a series involves Tom Thibodeau, it usually means the under is going to hit. The postseason is a place for less points and defense to become the name of the game. They combined for 198 in the opener, and going for a similar figure might be a safe selection.
It would ensure that it stays close from the open to the end, and would prove that the team’s adjustments were successful. The stars will be out, but their defense will be primary.
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