The first-round matchup for Cleveland Cavaliers VS New York Knicks might be the most thrilling and physical.
It features the Knicks (47-35, 44-34-4 ATS) number 5 seed who will be in Ohio for a matchup against the Cavaliers (51-31, 42-36-4 ATS) number 4 seed tonight.
Cleveland won the first regular season meeting between these teams by 13 at home, followed by New York winning the next three. The last game was in Cleveland, where the Knicks trashed the hosts 130-116.
Tonight, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will be hosting the first game in front of what is expected to be a deafening crowd.
MatchPlug has all the details for Cavaliers VS Knicks, including the NBA Predictions Tonight, picks, and odds for which side will win this matchup.
Predictions and Betting Preview for Cleveland Cavaliers VS New York Knicks Play-in Tournament
- Venue: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
- When: Saturday, April 15th, 2023
- Time: 15:00 GMT
- Teams to play: Cleveland Cavaliers and New York
- NBA Expert Picks: SPREAD -4.5
Odds by BetMGM and 1XBet.
Betting On The Cleveland Cavaliers
Regular Season Record: 51-31
- 1XBet Spread: -4.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 1.558
- 1XBet Over/Under: Over 217.5
- BetMGM Spread: -5.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: Under 216.5
- BetMGM Over/Under: 1.45
2022-23 Cleveland Cavaliers had the best defense in the NBA; they allowed the lowest three-point attempts per game in the regular season and held opponents to the 6th lowest effective goal percentage. The Cavaliers are 4th in turnover percentage. Their Achilles heel was pushing misses on threes, opponents shot 36.8% against them, which was 23rd in the league. Surprisingly, the Knicks had higher shooting numbers against Cleveland this campaign than their season averages. Most of the time, the Cavaliers were the ones doing the shutting down.
In terms of offense, the Cavaliers didn’t slack too, they finished 8th in offensive rating. 9th in effective goal percentage, took the lead as fifth-bets shooting percentage at the rim, 66.1%. They guarded the ball well too, ending the season 9th in turnover percentage. Donovan Mitchell is the name on everyone’s lips and he’s dealt with New York recently. The last 6 times he faced the Knicks, he averaged 32.5 points with 7.0 assists.
The Cavaliers had the second-best net rating in the NBA this season, and most of the destruction happened at home. They went 31-10 in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, which is the 6 best home record in the NBA. Cleveland has a home-court advantage this season, so, winning all their home games should do the trick.
Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Donovan Mitchell were absent from games towards the end of the season, but as a precautionary measure. Three of them should be gracing the courts today. It isn’t certain if Isaac Okoro will be joining, although reports say he’s headed in the right direction. Okoro is great at defense, so it will boost the Cavalier’s ranks significantly.
Betting On The New York Knicks
Regular Season Record: 47-35
- 1XBet Spread: +4.5
- 1XBet Moneyline: 3.165
- 1XBet Over/Under: Under 217.5
- BetMGM Spread: +5.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: Over 216.5
- BetMGM Over/Under: 2.80
The New York Knicks were among the seven teams to finish above .500 in away matches this season, with a 24-17 record away from the Garden. Their net rating in road contests was +1.6, 5th in the league. One of their away wins was courtesy of Cleveland on March 31, the last time they played the Cavs. In Julius Randle’s absence, New York won 130-116.
Randle’s health is perhaps the biggest news for the Knicks. He was supposed to play all 82 games before he sprained his ankle against Miami Heat on March 29. While Randle has been practising, he’s faced limitations, not participating in any contact activities. He was an All-Star this season, heading New York in scoring and rebounding, The team scaled through the season without his 25.1 points and 10.0 boards per game, but they won’t have the same luck postseason.
Jalen Brunson ended the season too with an injury but showed that a right-hand sprain won’t hinder him at all. Brunson is a left-handed shooter, so this won’t affect him. The Knicks will need him in shape the same way he was in last year’s playoffs, to lead an offense that is 4th in offensive rating.
The Knicks’ successful offense wasn’t born out of shooting efficiency. Instead, they thrived by limiting turnovers (5th in turnover percentage), frequenting the free throw line (8th in free throw rate), and grabbing offensive boards (second in offensive rebounding percentage). New York has an iso-heavy offense, with the fewest assist percentage in the game.
New York dwindled on defense, especially with them ending 19th in defensive rating. Rebounding and forcing misses, particularly at the rim, are the Knicks’ strong suits on the defensive end of the floor. But, they allow too many threes and don’t force turnovers. In the four meetings, they held the Cavaliers to 105.3 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the field, both well below the Cavaliers’ season average.
MatchPlug Prediction
Today’s game between the Cavaliers and Knicks should be a tight one. Game one in a series usually is, especially between evenly matched teams and the fact that New York which was lower-seeded won the season series.
The Knicks’ impressive defense at the rim and rebounding that matches the Cavaliers is what gives Cleveland fits.
Cleveland’s outstanding home performance doesn’t work because New York on the road was one of the toughest teams to defeat. This game may be decided by one possession.
Final Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers Spread.
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