Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 1: Prediction & Player Props

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for Tuesday night inside Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks will entertain the Cleveland Cavaliers.

New York has not played since May 10, because it swept Philadelphia in the conference semis earlier in the NBA Playoffs. Cleveland, on the other hand, survived a seven-game series against Detroit this past Sunday.

With tipoff set for 8:10 pm ET on ESPN, it’s time to break down Wednesday’s matchup and discuss the best bets to make.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks betting picks and predictions

Cavaliers +7.0 (-110)

There is no denying that New York has a significant rest advantage, but it is still hard to justify giving seven points in a matchup that is relatively even on paper between two teams that finished with one game of each other in the standings. Moreover, the Knicks have had so much time around that an element of rust could be a factor on Tuesday.

Although fatigue is some cause for concern, you have to like the mental makeup of the Cavaliers that was on display in round two.

They were especially impressive on the road, winning both Game 5 and Game 7 in Detroit – the latter by an eye-popping 125-94 margin. Road success is nothing new for Cleveland, which compiled a 25-16 such record during the regular season.

Over 218.0 (-110)

The over correlates nicely with the Cavaliers covering the spread, because you can be almost sure that they will have to score a bunch of points if they want to keep up with the Knicks. Tired legs – with which Cleveland is surely dealing with after going seven games against Detroit and getting only one day off – most often show up on the defensive end of the floor.

Having to face an in-form Knicks outfit certainly won’t help matters for the visitors’ defense. When playing with plenty of rest, New York has been lethal. It scored 113 points in Game 1 against Atlanta after getting five days off following the regular season. The series opener against Philadelphia – which was on the heels of three off days – saw the home side explode for 137 points.

To the surprise of no one, Brunson has been outstanding in the playoffs. During a four-game sweep of Philadelphia, the star point guard shot 51.3 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from downtown and 92.0 percent from the charity stripe. He averaged 31.3 ppg in the first three contests against the 76ers and then scored 22 points in only 28 minutes of Game 4 before leaving early in a beatdown that ended 144-114 in favor of the Knicks.

The over is 4-1 in Cleveland’s last five contests and 2-0 in its last two appearances in Madison Square Garden. Additionally, the over has cashed in four of New York’s last six overall.

Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points (-125)

Since an extremely slow start to round one against Atlanta, Bridges reemerged as a key contributor for New York. The Villanova product has scored in double-figures on five consecutive occasions, including 24 points in the clincher against the Hawks and an average of 17.5 ppg at the 76ers’ expense.

In three regular-season matchups with Cleveland, Bridges averaged 15.3 ppg while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range.

Read more betting picks and predictions for the NBA on site.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks odds

Cavaliers	-220
Knicks	-270
Spread	Knicks -7.0
Total Points	O/U 218.0

Cavaliers vs. Knicks player props

Player Points

Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers)	O/U 26.5
James Harden (Cavaliers)	O/U 19.5
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)	O/U 15.5
Jalen Brunson (Knicks)	O/U 26.5
Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks)	O/U 18.5
OG Anunoby (Knicks)	O/U 15.5

Cavaliers vs. Knicks team news

Cavaliers

Playing cleaner offensively will be a big focal point for the Cavaliers, who are committing 15.5 turnovers per game in the playoffs after averaging 13.3 in the regular season. Harden by himself checks in at 4.8 tpg in the playoffs.

Larry Nance, who has played only five minutes total in the playoffs and not played since Game 3 against Toronto, is rated questionable through illness for Tuesday night.

Knicks

OG Anunoby missed the last two games against Philadelphia with a hamstring injury. However, Anunoby practiced in full on Monday and all signs point to him being good to go for the start of this series.

Read the latest NBA news on site.

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.