Cavaliers vs. Knicks: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | -3 |
| Knicks Odds | +3 |
| Over/Under | 220.5 |
| Date | Tue, Jan. 24 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | BSOH |
On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks will meet at Madison Square Garden. Entering play, Cleveland (29-19) owns the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, with New York four games behind in the standings, currently sitting in the 7-seed. In this matchup, oddsmakers are anticipating a closely-contested affair, pricing Cleveland as 3.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell returns to the lineup
After missing each of Cleveland’s last three games, Donovan Mitchell will return to the floor this evening, having been upgraded to probable on the official injury report. In three games with Mitchell in street clothes over the past week, the Cavaliers went 1-2, with their only win coming against the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavaliers rank in the 59th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 82nd percentile in defensive efficiency this year with Mitchell on the floor, compared to the 62nd percentile in offensive efficiency and the 79th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Road woes
Through 48 games this season, Cleveland owns the best home record in the Eastern Conference, at 20-5. However, they are only 9-14 on the road. In those 23 games, the team’s biggest weaknesses have been defending the perimeter and playing defense without fouling. Entering play on Tuesday, the Cavaliers rank 26th in opponent three-point percentage and 13th in opponent free-throw attempts per game away from home.
New York Knicks
No flowers in the Garden
Contrary to Cleveland, which is elite at home and struggles on the road – New York is 14-10 on the road, but only 11-13 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are one of only five teams in the NBA that has a losing record in their home gym this season. The other four teams are the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets – the four teams with the four worst records in the league.
Last week, Mitchell Robinson underwent surgery to repair his broken right thumb, which will keep him on the sidelines for at least a month. Since he last played on January 18, the Knicks are 0-2, with both losses coming by at least nine points. In the loss to the Atlanta Hawks, they were outrebounded 39-34. Against the Toronto Raptors, they allowed 35 free-throw attempts.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks rank better than league average in rebounding and defending without fouling when Robinson is on the court this season, but they rank far worse than league average in rebound and opponent free-throw rate when he is not on the floor.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks – Picks & Predictions
This season, the New York Knicks rank in the 78th percentile in defensive efficiency with Mitchell Robinson on the floor, compared to the 22nd percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines. Tonight, New York will have to contend with a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is returning Donovan Mitchell, their leading scorer to the floor.
Though Cleveland has struggled to win on the road this year, they are still scoring 112.5 points per 100 possessions in these situations. Tonight, they are likely to have an efficient night scoring the basketball against a New York defense that has allowed 240 points in their last two games. Take the over on Cleveland’s team total in this spot.
PICK: Cleveland Cavaliers Team Total – Over 111.5 points (-120, MGM)
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