Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks Betting Prediction

betdsiArticles, Basketball, NBA

The New York Knicks (28-52) welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers (49-31) to Madison Square Garden to kick off Eastern Conference play. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, April 9, 2018, and will air on NBATV.

Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks Betting Odds

Both teams were beaten in their last contest. The Knicks fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-102, while the Cavaliers lost a winnable game to the Philadelphia 76ers, 132-130.

Cleveland did a great job of getting to and converting from the free throw line (24-33; 72.7 percent) while New York had a turnover percentage of 7.6 (better than their season average of 12.9). Kyle O’Quinn led the way for New York, recording 15 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Cleveland rallied around LeBron James, who racked up 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. This gave him his 17th triple-double this year.

New York could have difficulty getting to the foul line in this meeting. The Knicks rank 26th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.172, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.167). Additionally, the fifth-ranked offense of the Cavaliers (offensive efficiency of 111.1) will try to take advantage of the 22nd-ranked defense of the Knicks (defensive efficiency of 108.9).

Of the Cavaliers’ 80 games, 40 have finished over the O/U total. Cleveland is 49-31 straight up (SU), but they struggle covering the spread (31-48-1 against the spread (ATS)).

A little over half of Knicks games have also finished over the total. Additionally, New York owns records of 28-52 SU and 37-43 ATS.

The Cavaliers evened the season series at one with a 104-101 win in their most recent matchup. Tim Hardaway Jr. recorded a double-double in the loss, with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Converting at the free throw line was one of Cleveland’s biggest advantages. They were 18-22 (81.8 percent), while the Knicks were 17-22 (77.3 percent). Cleveland was unable to cover as a 5-point favorite and the two teams combined to score 205 points, which was well under the projected point total of 221.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks Free Pick

Pick: SU Winner – Knicks, ATS Winner – Knicks, O/U – Over

Betting Notes:

  • The Cavaliers rank 21st in steals per game (7.0) while the Knicks rank 26th (6.7).
  • Cleveland ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.1) while New York ranks 29th (23.2).
  • The Knicks rank 14th in assists per game (23.2) while the Cavaliers rank 29th in assists allowed per game (25.8).
  • New York averages 46.6 points in the paint per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Cleveland ranks 21st in points allowed in the paint per game (46.9).
  • New York averages 44.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the NBA. Cleveland ranks 21st in rebounds allowed per game (43.8).
  • The Knicks rank eighth in blocks per game (5.1) while the Cavaliers rank 26th (3.8).
  • The Knicks rank seventh in second chance points per game (13.4) while the Cavaliers rank 19th in second chance points allowed per game (12.8).
  • Cleveland averages 16.2 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 18th in the league. New York ranks 19th in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.3).
  • Cleveland ranks 12th in fast break points per game (12.6) while New York ranks 27th (8.6).
  • Cleveland is 16-3 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while New York is 14-4.
  • When scoring above 100 points, the Knicks are 27-29 and the Cavaliers are 47-18.
  • Cleveland is 18-22 ATS on the road, while New York is 21-19 ATS at home.
  • The total has gone over in 20 of the Knicks’ 40 home games, while 21 of the Cavaliers’ 40 road games have gone over.

Betting Trends:

  • The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS over their last five games, while the Knicks are 1-4.
  • In their last five games, Cleveland has 3 unders and 2 overs, while New York has 3 overs and 2 unders.
  • During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 113.2 points per game (2.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 108.4 points per game (1.5 below their season average).
  • The Knicks average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 3.6 for the season.