The Cleveland Cavaliers (50-31) and New York Knicks (28-53) will clash at Quicken Loans Arena to start their Eastern Conference schedules. Action begins at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, and it can be seen on Fox Sports – Ohio.
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
These two teams have met three times already this season, with the Cavaliers leading the series two games to one. In the most recent game, James had 26 points, 11 assists and six rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Knicks 123-109, covering as 12-point favorites. The two teams combined for 232 points, which was 10.5 points above the projected point total of 221.5 points. The Cavaliers played a nearly perfect game. They had a solid free throw rate of 0.282 and a solid turnover percentage of 9.3. For those same stats, the Knicks were 0.069 and 13.2, respectively.
Cleveland could have their way on the offensive side of the ball as their high-octane offense goes up against one of the NBA’s worst defenses. The Cavaliers currently rank fifth in offensive efficiency, while New York ranks 25th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Knicks rank 26th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.171), while the Cavaliers rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.166).
Of New York’s 81 games, 41 have finished over the projected point total, while 41 of Cleveland’s 81 games have finished over the O/U total. The Cavaliers have the better straight up (SU) record (50-31 vs. 28-53), but the Knicks hold the substantial advantage against the spread (ATS) (37-44 vs. 32-48-1).
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds Prediction
NBA Prediction: SU Winner – Knicks, ATS Winner – Knicks, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Knicks rank 13th in assists per game (23.2) while the Cavaliers rank 27th in assists allowed per game (25.8).
- Cleveland averages 16.3 points off turnovers per game, which ranks 15th in the league. New York ranks 23rd in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.3).
- New York averages 46.7 points in the paint per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Cleveland ranks 20th in points allowed in the paint per game (46.9).
- New York ranks 13th in rebounds per game (44.1) while Cleveland ranks 17th in rebounds allowed per game (43.7).
- New York is 16-24 ATS on the road with 20 overs, 18 unders and 2 pushes.
- Cleveland is 13-26-1 ATS at home with 20 unders, 19 overs and 1 push.
- In games where they allow less than 100 points, New York is 14-4 and Cleveland is 16-3.
- The Cavaliers are 48-18 when they reach the century mark, while the Knicks are 27-30.
- The Knicks rank seventh in second chance points per game (13.4) while the Cavaliers rank 17th in second chance points allowed per game (12.8).
- Cleveland ranks fifth in three pointers attempted per game (32.2) while New York ranks 29th (23.3).
- The Knicks rank seventh in blocks per game (5.2) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (3.8).
- The Cavaliers rank 23rd in steals per game (7.1) while the Knicks rank 28th (6.7).
- Cleveland ranks 13th in fast break points per game (12.6) while New York ranks 29th (8.5).
Bettings Trends:
- Cleveland is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, New York is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
- The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.6, up from 1.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Knicks have scored an average of 103.0 points per game (1.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 109.6 points per game (1.5 above their season average).
