New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview: Odds Shows Big Move in Game 2 Total
Cavs Look to Even Series at Home
The New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting preview shows a big move in the Game 2 total. Game 1 saw the over/under open at 217.5 and close 215.5. The number opened at 213.5 for Game 2 – a swing of four points from Game 1’s opening number – and is already down to 212.5. That’s to be expected after the Knicks won Game 1 by a 101-97 final score.
The Cavaliers have moved from -4 in Game 2 to 5-point favorites, as bettors are expecting Cleveland to even the series. Cleveland can’t afford to go to New York down 2-0, so at least you know you’ll get the Cavs’ best effort. The Cavs are -190 on the moneyline. The game will be played Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and televised on TNT.
The NBA team stats show rebounding was the difference in Game 1. The Knicks pulled down 51 rebounds compared to Cleveland’s 38. New York had a 17-11 edge in offensive rebounds, none of them bigger than Julius Randle’s in the final seconds of the game. The Knicks let a double-digit fourth-quarter lead get away from them but rallied back to get the win.
Battle on the Boards
The Cavaliers and Knicks have now met five times this season and New York has won the last four. A big rebounding advantage has played a large part of that. In three of those four New York wins, the Knicks have had a double-digit edge on the boards. Cleveland has to do a better job on the glass.
In Cleveland’s lone win against New York this season, the Knicks had a 45-43 rebounding edge. Cleveland also held its own in New York’s 105-103 home win in January. New York had 42 rebounds to Cleveland’s 41.
Knicks Show Plenty of Hart
One of the heroes for the Knicks in Game 1 was Josh Hart. He scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and also grabbed 10 rebounds. A solid effort off the bench for somebody whose NBA player stats show an average of 9.8 points during the regular season. The Knicks’ bench as a whole made the difference in Game 1. New York’s four reserves who entered the game were a collective +44. Cleveland’s four bench players were -36.
Will History Repeat Itself?
The New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting preview shows the Cavs are in a good situation to get the win if history means anything. In the opening playoff series, 38 teams have lost the opening playoff game as a home favorite and were home favorites in Game 2. These teams went 31-7 straight-up, but were just 21-17 against the spread. Totals have gone 16-21-1 in these games, so a slight tendency to go under, but nothing to get excited about.
Will Cavaliers Go Downtown?
In Cleveland’s lone win against New York this season, the Cavaliers shot 50 3-pointers. Cleveland made 23 of them and cruised to a 121-108 win early in the season. The Cavaliers have taken 31 to 37 3-point attempts in the other four games, losing them all. It wouldn’t be a total shock to see the Cavs make an effort to get more outside shots in Game 2.
Handicapping Game 2
The spread seems a shade high considering the Knicks have won the last four games. But a number of bettors still subscribe to the “Zig-Zag Theory,” which involves taking the team that lost the previous game in a series. The jump in the line wasn’t a huge surprise.
For the Knicks, there’s no point changing what has been working against the Cavaliers. New York should continue to crash the boards and get second chances. In the five games this season, New York has a 68-42 advantage in offensive rebounds. In total rebounds, the Knicks have an average advantage of 48-38.8 rebounds per game.
The Knicks received solid play from Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle in Game 1. New York needs its big players to come up with solid efforts in the playoffs. They did just that in Game 1.
For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell needs a bit of help. He scored 38 points in Game 1. Only two other players – Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen – were in double digits. Those three were a combined 27 for 51 in field goal attempts. The rest of the team was a combined 9 for 32.
The Cavaliers have to do a better job getting to the line. The Knicks have taken more free throws than Cleveland in the last four games, all New York wins. The only game Cleveland attempted more foul shots was the lone game the Cavaliers won.
Game 1 saw 54 first-quarter points, which was the highest seen in any one quarter in the game. But it also follows a pattern between these two teams this season. The Knicks and Cavs have seen an average of 61.6 points scored in the first quarter in the five games. The teams combine for 50.4, 52.2 and 46.6 points in the other three quarters. The New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting preview says to give the first quarter over the total a good look for Tuesday’s game.
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