Two Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls square off on Wednesday night, but it seems these squads may be headed in opposite directions. The Cavaliers have lost four of their last five games and dipped below .500 with a loss in their most recent outing, so they’re trying to get back on track. Meanwhile, the Knicks have won four straight games of their own and are beginning to look the part of the reigning champs.
Read on for a full preview, prediction and pick for Wednesday’s Cavaliers vs. Knicks matchup, courtesy of odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Cavs made the Eastern Conference Finals last season but fell in that series to the same Knicks they’ll meet tonight. The offseason didn’t see them make too many changes, but the pressure is beginning to mount now after starting the season 5-6, including four losses in their last five games. Cleveland now sits 15th in NETRTG at +1.5, but the results should be better than this. The offense is 10th in scoring with 116.5 PPG and the No. 13 OFFRTG, ranking 13th in FG% (46.4%) and 10th in 3P% (36.7%). Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 22.8 points and 5.5 assists per game, down 5.1 points from last season’s average. James Harden is averaging 15.3 points and 5.7 dimes, with his offensive creation also taking a step back. Granted, Evan Mobley may have taken a step forward himself with 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 55.8% from the field and 50.0% from three. Fellow big man Jarrett Allen also posts 13.1 points with a team-high 7.7 rebounds, while Meleek Thomas and Peyton Watson score in the low double digits. There’s talent here, and the Cavaliers are also sixth in rebounds per game (46.2) and fourth in turnovers (13.8). The defense is what’s let them down, though, allowing opponents to score 115.0 PPG with the No. 15 DEFRTG. Those numbers aren’t terrible, but they aren’t great either; this team just hasn’t been consistent yet. On the injury report, Sam Merrill is out while Jaylon Tyson is questionable.
The Knicks are trending in the opposite direction. They’ve won four straight contests, though those did come against the Nets, Bulls and Bucks in addition to these Cavs. Still, they’re up to 6-4 and seem to be shaking off the rust that had them start the campaign with three consecutive losses. Their NETRTG has also recovered to +8.7, which is good for sixth in the NBA. The defense has been the driving force this year, allowing a league-low 102.3 PPG and ranking third in DEFRTG; the unit ranks third in opponent FG% (42.8%) and 12th in opponent 3P% (33.7%), also dominating the glass with a league-best 49.4 rebounds per contest. The offense has been less impressive overall, but is showing signs of improvement. The 110.6 PPG average isn’t great, but they are 11th in OFFRTG and 11th in 3P% at 36.3%, though their 43.1% FG% is 26th in the league. As expected, Jalen Brunson leads the team in scoring and assists with 25.9 points and 5.2 dimes per game. Costar Karl-Anthony Towns is questionable tonight, but provides a steady 20.9 points and NBA-best 13.8 rebounds per contest, too. OG Anunoby pitches in 16.7 PPG as the lone other scorer in double digits, but other support comes from a cast that includes Landry Shamet, Josh Hart (probable) and Mikal Bridges, among other key names.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Knicks as a 3.5-point favorite at home tonight with -152 odds on the Moneyline. The Cavaliers are a +128 underdog to win outright on the road with the total set at 216.5 combined points.
These teams already met once this season, a game New York won 109-97 behind 60 combined points from Brunson and Towns. In that outing, the Knicks didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but they won the rebounding battle by nine and led for three of the four quarters after taking a one-point deficit into the second frame. They also survived a 37-point explosion from Mitchell, holding all other Cleveland players to 12 or fewer points.
The status of Towns is one to monitor leading up to tip-off, but if he plays, the Knicks can certainly win outright and cover this 3.5-point spread – even coming off the first leg of a back-to-back. The Cavs are just 1-4 ATS as the road team and haven’t exactly looked like a united front on the defensive side of things, which is a big difference from this standout Knicks defense. New York has been significantly better on that side of the ball and didn’t even allow Cleveland to reach 100 points in the first meeting between these teams. While the Knicks’ own offense may trail in raw PPG, the unit has been more efficient than tonight’s opponent when it comes to OFFRTG, too. Only one of these teams is looking like a well-oiled machine so far this month, so on their home floor, the defending champs should be able to cover – so long as their star center plays.
