Madison Square Garden plays host to a matchup between the New York Knicks (25-23) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (29-19) on Tuesday. The New York Knicks hold the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference after winning 25 of their 48 games, while 29 wins in 48 matches leave the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fifth seed. It looks like a match, which could go either way, as not a lot seems to be separating the New York Knicks from the Cleveland Cavaliers. This could go down to the wire before a winner emerges.
Knicks VS Cavaliers Betting expert picks
Knicks VS Cavaliers Moneyline
Bet Cleveland Cavaliers to win (1.67) for the outright win on the moneyline.
Backing a home win on the moneyline is a red flag here. The Knicks are on a four-match losing streak, and we don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for them either. Take the Cavaliers (-150) instead for the win. Instead, we like the look of the Cavaliers continuing their dominance in this series, having won four of their last five matchups against the Knicks.
New York Knicks VS Cavaliers Spread
Take the Cleveland Cavaliers -3.0 (1.91) as they are the best bet.
The Cavaliers open up as the 3.0-point favorites over the Knicks, according to the Ohio sports betting sites. This implies a tight battle is likely, with a road win possible but only by a little. In the last ten matchups in this series, the average points margin between these two sides was 13.9 points.
Backing the Knicks to cover the spread looks like a red flag here, even on home soil. They’ve failed to cover the spread in their last four outings ahead of Tuesday’s matchup. The hosts are also 3-7 ATS in the past ten games at home and 4-6 ATS overall from their previous ten games.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have covered in four of their last six games. The visitors are 5-5 ATS from their ten most recent road trips, as well as 5-5 ATS in their last ten games overall.
Knicks VS Cavaliers Total
Take the Total over 219.0 (1.91) as the best option in this category
The past ten meetings between the Knicks and the Cavaliers only managed an average of 201.7 points. The total went over and under once in the two games these teams have played against each other this season.
Take a good look at the over when betting on the total, since the past two matches involving the Knicks went over. Betting on the over would’ve paid out as a winning bet in the last three games at the Madison Square Garden for the Knicks, who are 6-3-1 in their last ten home and away matches against the total.
On average, the Cavaliers have seen 218.6 points go on board during their past ten matches and 222.6 points in their last five contests on the road. Over was a winning bet three times in the past five road games for the Cavaliers, who are 5-5 against the total in their last 10 home and away games combined.
New York Knicks VS Cleveland Cavaliers Betting trends
- Moneyline (ML): Cleveland Cavaliers (-150) | New York Knicks (+130)
- Against the spread (ATS): Cleveland Cavaliers -3.0 (-110) | New York Knicks +3.0 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 219.0 (-110) | (-110)
New York Knicks Form
A 125-116 defeat to the Toronto Raptors last time out extended the Knicks’ losing streak to four games, leaving the hosts 5-5 across their past 10 outings.
Going into their latest matchup, the Knicks boast an offensive record that is more middle of the pack than elite. The hosts rank 12th in the NBA, averaging 114.3 points per game. Defensively, the home team hasn’t been as effective in shutting out opponents recently, giving up 121.4 points in the last five matches and 112.3 points for the season.
Last year, the Knicks failed to qualify for the playoffs after a 37-45 regular season. They ended up 11th in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the Atlantic Division. However, with a 25-23 record this season, they hold the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed, leaving them set for the Play-In Tournament.
The New York Knicks have two players injured for the upcoming match in Mitchell Robinson and Immanuel Quickley.
Cleveland Cavaliers Form
The Cavaliers snapped out of a two-game losing skid last time out by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 114-102, leaving their current record from the past ten games at 5-5. They are also 2-3 in the last five on the road.
The Cavaliers have had trouble scoring points this season. Their 111.7 points-per-game average ranks them near the bottom of NBA teams in this category. Defensively, there has been no letup. The visitors boast one of the stingiest defenses in the entire country, allowing just 107.3 points per game for this season and 110.0 points on average across their last five matches.
The Cavaliers are hopeful of a return to the playoffs. With a 29-19 start to the regular season and the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed, all is going according to plan. They also rank second in the Central Division.
Donovan Mitchell and Dylan Windler are both struggling with injuries ahead of the Cavaliers’ latest road game.
New York Knicks VS Cleveland Cavaliers H2H history
After losing the previous round 121-108 in October 2022, the New York Knicks avenged their defeat against the Cleveland Cavaliers last time out by beating them 92-81 at the Madison Square Garden. Both teams have failed to claim the upper hand in this series in recent years, having claimed five wins apiece from their previous ten matchups
In their last ten head-to-head games, the New York Knicks managed 102.5 points on average per game, while the Cleveland Cavaliers put 99.2 points on board.