Cavs at Knicks: Preview, betting odds and prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a freefall. Losers of five of their last six games (the one win a close one over the last-place Orlando Magic), the Cavs have stumbled from their once-lofty perch down into the play-in game, and it could get worse from here with three teams lurking just below.

Saturday afternoon they get a chance to right the ship, heading into Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. It’s the same arena where the Cavs had one of their early signature wins of the season, and they hope to rekindle that magic and, at least for a night, arrest their fall down the standings.

The Cavs play the New York Knicks Saturday afternoon desperate for a win. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?

The New York Knicks were going on a winning streak while the Cavs were in the midst of their losing streak. New York won four-straight games before losing Wednesday night to the Charlotte Hornets. RJ Barrett has been tremendous of late, and the Knicks hope to play spoiler down the stretch and see Barrett continue to blossom into a future All-Star.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Knicks: Odds, spread, over/under

The Cavaliers (42-35) will visit the New York Knicks (34-43) tonight. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the Cavs are favored by 1.5 points. The over/under point total is 214.5.

The Knicks have had a few nights off, last playing on Wednesday night and not traveling at all. The Cavs, on the other hand, had a tough back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday before flying to New York.

Cavs vs Knicks: Projected starting lineups, injury report

Knicks starters: Alec Burks, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson

Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Lauri Markkanen, Moses Brown

The Knicks’ key injuries: Julius Randle (out, quad); Kemba Walker (out for season, old); Derrick Rose (out, ankle); Nerlens Noel (out, foot); Quentin Grimes (out, knee); Cam Reddish (out for season, shoulder)

The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton, Dean Wade (out for season, knee); Jarrett Allen (out, finger); Evan Mobley (out, ankle); Rajon Rondo (doubtful, ankle)

Cavs vs Knicks: Prediction

The New York Knicks are without their All-Star forward from last year, Julius Randle, and as such the Cavs come into The Big Apple as 1.5 point favorites. What that doesn’t factor in is that (1) the Cavs have been abysmal lately and don’t deserve to be favored in any road game whatsoever, and (2) Randle hasn’t been much of a positive player recently.

It may be addition by subtraction for the Knicks, who can play more freely and give young players valuable minutes. The absences for the Cavs are purely subtraction by subtraction, with the losses of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley crippling this team.

Look for the Class of 2019 to ball out in this content, as Darius Garland and RJ Barrett could both duel for the breadth of the game. The team that figures out the best way to slow down the other could have the upper hand here.

Prediction: 112 Knicks, 106 Cavs

The Bet: Knight +1.5), OVER

Cavs vs Knicks: Where to Watch

As per usual, local fans of the Cavaliers can tune into Bally Sports Ohio to watch the game. The MSG network will carry the game in New York. Everyone else can log into NBA League Pass to catch the matinee contest. The game is the unusual 1:00pm ET start for Saturday afternoon.

Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule

Every game is critical down the stretch when only a handful remain, but this three-game set is vital for the Cavs to win before taking on two daunting challenges in the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks to end the season. That starts Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, the fourth meeting in two months between the two teams; Philly has won the first three meetings.

Tuesday the Cavs will then fly down to Orlando for their easiest remaining contest; at that point, they may know how much of a “must-win” it is for this team to try and maintain home-court advantage in the play-in tournament. That’s still a few days away, however; first, they need to find a win in New York.