The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to stay perfect against the New York Knicks this season when they meet in a key NBA Eastern Conference matchup on Friday. It will be the second of back-to-back games for both teams. The Knicks (37-18), the third seed in the East, are 17-8 on the road this season. The Cavaliers (45-10), the top seed in the conference, are 25-4 on their home court. Josh Hart (knee) is out for New York, while OG Anunoby (foot) is questionable. Cleveland has no notable injuries to report.
Tipoff from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland is set for 7 p.m. ET. Cleveland beat New York 110-104 in the first meeting on Oct. 28, but New York won two of three matchups last season. The Cavaliers are 8.5-point favorites in the latest Knicks vs. Cavaliers odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 241.5. The Cavs are at -347 on the money line (risk $347 to win $100), while New York is at +276 (risk $100 to win $276). Before making any Cavaliers vs. Knicks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters the second half of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 147-104 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 18-9 (67%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Knicks vs. Cavaliers and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Cavs vs. Knicks:
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers spread: Cleveland -8.5
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers over/under: 241.5 points
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers money line: Cleveland -347, New York +276
- NY: The Knicks are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 meetings vs. Cleveland
- CLE: The under is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings vs. New York
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Knicks vs. Cavaliers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell helps power the Cleveland attack. The former first-round draft pick of the Denver Nuggets in 2017, he leads the Cavaliers in scoring and is averaging 23.9 points, 4.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.3 minutes of action. In a 134-124 win at Washington, he poured in 33 points, while adding five assists and two steals. He had 31 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals in a 112-105 loss to the Boston Celtics on Feb. 4.
Point guard Darius Garland also averages over 20 points per game at 21.6 points in 30.2 minutes. He also is dishing out 6.7 assists, grabbing 2.5 rebounds and making 1.1 steals. He is connecting on 49.8% of his field goals, including a blistering 43.1% from 3-point range, and 87.5% of his free throws. His best game during the first half of the season was a 40-point, nine-assist, two-rebound and two-steal performance in a 132-126 win over the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 9.
Why the Knicks can cover
Veteran point guard Jalen Brunson has been on a roll of late. In a 124-118 win over the Houston Rockets on Feb. 3, he recorded a double-double with 42 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and two steals. In the 149-148 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 12, he scored 36 points and added eight assists and three rebounds. For the season, he is averaging 26.1 points, 7.5 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 35.2 minutes.
Also powering New York is center Karl-Anthony Towns. For the season, he is averaging 24.7 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal in 34.9 minutes. In the Feb. 12 win over Atlanta, he scored 44 points, while grabbing 10 boards and dishing out three assists. He scored 40 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out five assists and added three steals in a 128-115 win over the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 11.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Knicks picks
The model has simulated Knicks vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in.
The total for the Knicks vs. Cavaliers game is set at 232 points, with one side of the spread hitting in 60% of simulations. If you want to know which side of the spread to bet on, head over to SportsLine for expert NBA picks. The model has been on a hot streak, going 147-104 on top-rated NBA picks. Don’t miss out on the winning side of the Knicks vs. Cavaliers matchup – visit SportsLine now to make an informed decision.