After tying their opening-round series at a game apiece, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers head to Madison Square Garden to face the fifth-seeded Knicks (-2.5) in the middle game of the Friday night NBA Playoffs slate (8:30 pm. ET, ABC). Darius Garland helped the Cavs roar back into the series on Tuesday, as Cleveland outscored New York 34-17 in the second quarter.
Garland's 32 points easily led the game, but the Cavs had solid efforts all around in their 107-90 beatdown of the Knicks. Caris LeVert added 24 points, Donovan Mitchell scored 17 and finished with a whopping 13 assists, Evan Mobley chipped in a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double, and Jarrett Allen was one point away from a double-double of his own.
Game 2 was not just about individual players stepping up. The Cavaliers showed as a team what we saw all regular season: They are a complete squad and a force to be reckoned with at home (31-10). Cleveland out-rebounded the Knicks 43-36, finished with 26 assists to New York's 16, and held the Knicks to 36.7 percent from the field and 24.1 percent from deep.
Can the Cavs carry over their momentum from Game 2 and take the all-important 2-1 series lead, or will the Knicks hold court and regain control of the series? Below, we'll break down Friday night's Knicks-Cavaliers matchup, giving our prediction and best bets for the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
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Knicks vs. Cavaliers odds, picks, predictions
- Spread: Knicks -2.5 (+100) | Cavaliers +2.5 (-120)
- Total: OVER 212.5 (+100) | UNDER 212.5 (-120)
- Moneyline: Knicks -125 | Cavaliers +105
This series was always projected to be one of the closer ones of the first round, and with the series tied 1-1 headed back to MSG, we are not surprised in the slightest that oddsmakers listed New York as the modest home favorite. The Knicks went 23-18 straight up at home this season and beat the Cavs 3-1 during their regular-season series. Cleveland also went just 20-21 on the road during the campaign.
Still, J.B. Bickerstaff's squad has proven through two playoff games that it will always compete. Cleveland lost Game 1 by just four points, with Donovan Mitchell dropping in 38 points and nearly leading the Cavs to the comeback victory. Mitchell can kick it into extra gear and take over offensively when he needs to, but he can also sit back and create for others as he did in Game 2. Perhaps more important, Cleveland's defense — led by twin towers Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — always brings it.
The biggest difference we saw in Game 2 was Cleveland's tenacity on the glass. New York won the rebounding battle 51-38 in Game 1, pulling down an incredible 17 offensive boards. Cleveland made a concerted effort to bounce back and box out in Game 2, and the result was a plus-seven rebounding advantage. The Cavs' defense went from very good in Game 1 to lockdown in Game 2.
The Knicks' main offensive core combined to shoot just 26-of-72 from the floor in Game 2 (36.1 percent). Mitchell Robinson, usually a chairman of the boards, was held to just five rebounds in 21 disappointing minutes. Josh Hart, typically Mr. Everything for New York ever since his deadline-deal move to the Big City, was a -29 on the night.
While we don't expect Tom Thibodeau's squad to bounce right back from such an effective drubbing, we also must remember that Cleveland always has a more difficult time when traveling. The Cavs finished the regular season just 20-21 on the road. That doesn't mean we're smashing the home team — New York finished just five games above .500 at MSG this season — but it means we will be playing Game 3 a bit more conservatively than the majority of bettors.
We like Cleveland to keep up the defensive intensity, continue to attack the glass, and once again frustrate New York's bigs down low. The Knicks won't be an easy Game 3 out with their backs against the wall, but we ultimately expect the Cavs to prevail. We'll be betting on another low-scoring contest — not taking BetMGM's bait with the +100 payout on the OVER — and we'll also be betting the Cavs to win by 1-5 on the custom "Winning Margin" props page (+450).
Prediction: Cavaliers 106, Knicks 102. The Cavs (+2.5) cover the spread, with the game going UNDER the total (212.5). For extra bang for your buck, consider betting the Cavs' winning margin prop of 1-5 (+450) or parlay Cleveland +2.5 with the UNDER.
Best player prop bet for Knicks vs. Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell OVER 40.5 points + assists + rebounds
Mitchell is one of the few Cavaliers who actually averaged more points on the road (28.9) than he did at home (27.6), and he's averaging 26 points, 10 dimes, and five boards over Cleveland's past three games, which happens to add up to exactly 41. What makes us truly trust Spida tonight is his propensity for big games under the brightest of lights and his continued evolution as a passer. He has averaged 28.3 points per game throughout his postseason career, and he has 21 assists through two games this series. This prop gives us multiple ways to get to 41, and we like our chances with Mitchell and the Cavs coming into MSG with supreme confidence after a dominating Game 2 performance.
