Cavaliers vs Knicks Point Spread Pick

Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31 SU, 45-38-1 ATS) vs. New York Knicks (47-35 SU, 46-36-2 ATS)
When: Friday, April 21st, 8:30 PM (ET)
Where: Madison Square Garden, NY, New York
TV: ABC

Point Spread: Cle +2/NY -2
Total: 211
Money Line: Cleveland Cavaliers +109/-130

Notable Injuries

Cavaliers

• Cedi Osman (Questionable) Ankle
• Dylan Windler (Out) Foot

Knicks

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Cleveland is 51-31 overall. When taking to the road, Cleveland has a mark of 20-21 and a win percentage of 49%. Currently, the team is 4th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 45-38-1 vs. the spread. When looking at how the team has performed of late straight and vs. the spread, they are 3-2 in their past 5 games and 2-3 ATS. Over their past 10 games, they are 6-4 SU and 4-6 ATS.

The Cavaliers came away with a win in their last matchup against the Knicks, achieving a 107-90 victory as 5-point favorites. Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with an impressive performance, scoring 32 points on a shooting percentage of 47.1%. In addition to the win, the Cavaliers also covered the spread.

Heading into the game, New York is 47-35 overall. When playing at home, New York has a mark of 23-18 and a win percentage of 56%. Currently, the team is 5th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 46-36-2 vs. the spread. In New York’s last 5 games, the Knicks have a straight-up record of 2-3 while going 2-2-1 in those games. Going back to the last 10, they are 6-4 and 5-4-1 ATS.

In their most recent matchup, the Cavaliers defeated New York with a score of 107-90. Julius Randle scored the most points for the team with 22, but it was not enough to earn the win. The Knicks were 5 points ahead going into the game.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Cavaliers picked up the 107-90 win over the Knicks. The Cavaliers’ margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 5.5-point favorite. So far this season, the Knicks have a record of 4-2 vs the Cavaliers. In terms of betting, New York has an ATS record of 4-1 in the previous 5 matchups vs Cleveland. This mark has come on an average scoring margin of +3 points per game in favor of the Knicks. In these matchups, the teams have put together an over-under mark of 1-4. Combined, they averaged 203 points in these games.

Analysis

This season, Cleveland is averaging just 112.3 points per game, which places them 34th in the league. A major reason for these low numbers is the fact that they play at one of the slower paces in the NBA at just 95.7 possessions per game. Cleveland comes into the game ranked just 32nd in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 36.7% of their shots from deep, which places them 25th in the NBA. Defensively, the Cavaliers have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 105.67 points per game. So far, they have allowed a 3-point shooting percentage of 35.29%, placing them 16th in the NBA.

Going into today’s game, Donovan Mitchell is the leading scorer for the Cleveland team with an average of 28.3 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 48.4%. The team’s second top scorer is Darius Garland, who is averaging 21.6 points per game.

This season, the Knicks’ offense is averaging 116.0 points per game, which is 14th in the NBA. In terms of pace, New York has been playing at one of the slower tempo’s in the league, averaging just 97.7 possessions per game. New York’s 3-point shooting numbers are below the league average, as they have hit just 35.4% of their looks from deep. On average, the team gets up 35.7 3-point shots per game, placing them 15th in the NBA. Defensively, the Knicks have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 106.6 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 34.2%.

Julius Randle is the top scorer for New York, averaging 25.1 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 45.9%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Jalen Brunson, with an average of 24.0 points per game.

Betting Trends

• The Cavaliers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.
• The Cavaliers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a straight up win.
• The Knicks are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
• The Knicks are 5-2-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Earlier in the season, it was a great little system to fade the Cavaliers on the road and bet on them at home. We made some pretty good loot in doing so! As the season progressed, the Cavaliers chemistry tightened and experience was gained by their young players. Towards the end of the season they became a team that was a force to be reckoned with on the road. On the flip side, you never really know what you’re going to get with the Knicks. One day it could be Randle, another day could be Brunson or whoever. My point is that the Knicks have some nice individual talent, but not the chemistry or flow neeeded to be successful at this point. They were able to steal a win at Cleveland and the Cavs responded by smashing them in Game 2. I expect Cleveland to continue that momentum tonight. Furthernore, the line opened at +2, the public is all over the Knicks and the line has dropped to +1.5 at some betting shops which tells us other sharp money and the sportsbooks like Cleveland as well. I’m betting the Cavs tonight at +2.