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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been tough to beat at home all season, but their armor was cracked by the Knicks in the series opener. New York prevailed in game one by four points, but the margin doesn’t tell the whole story. The Knicks controlled the whole game, and there were never many occasions when they looked like underdogs. Jalen Brunson was fantastic in the win, and this took some pressure off Julius Randle, who returned for the first time in two weeks following an ankle injury.
Despite the win, the Knicks are still underdogs in game two on the road. New York is taking five points on FanDuel Sportsbook, with the majority of the money coming in on that side of the line. Let’s take a look at the betting breakdown and the best way to make money in game two of this Eastern Conference battle.
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The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are going to draw a lot of eyes on Tuesday night. More eyes mean more bets, and if you fall into this group of bettors, make sure to utilize FanDuel Sportsbook. FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the best in the business for NBA wagering. FanDuel has a partnership with the NBA on TNT, which is where Knicks vs. Cavaliers will be broadcast.
You’ll get to see all the analysts' picks and have the opportunity to tail them on the sportsbook. Another benefit of FanDuel is the promos offered on the site. This is especially true for new users looking to make the most of their NBA betting experience. New users can receive $150 in bonus bets when they wager $5 or more. This offer is only for new users, and it can be accessed through our exclusive link. If you’re looking to learn more about FanDuel, check out the easy-to-read guide on our site.
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The Knicks and Cavaliers will battle once again on Tuesday night. The Knicks bested the Cavaliers in game one and did it in a difficult position because Cleveland has been sensational at home. The Cavaliers are 23-17-2 ATS at home, and they’ve gone 31-11 straight up. This record is one of the best at home in the NBA, but New York has been strong on the road as well.
Game one showed that New York’s road ability was just as strong as Cleveland’s home-court advantage. The Knicks are 25-17 and 27-14-1 ATS on the road. Additionally, they’re .500 this season as underdogs, which is remarkable compared to the Cavaliers. Cleveland has gone 4-14 as dogs, so New York’s achievement is noteworthy.
The Knicks were able to win game one due to their physicality in the paint. The team outrebounded Cleveland 51-38 and shined when it came to second-chance opportunities. Other than the rebounds, the Cavaliers won the stat battle, shooting more efficiently from the field and turning the ball over less throughout four quarters.
The Knicks are the more physical team with Randle in the paint. If he wouldn’t have played, it would have been a much different game. However, Randle looked healthy, which is a bad sign for the Cavaliers. If Cleveland wants a better result in game two, they must create second-chance opportunities on the glass and prevent New York from winning the offensive rebounding battle. The Knicks have tons of scorers that are too good to be given multiple shooting chances on one possession.
The New York Knicks are the most interesting team in the Eastern Conference. They may not have the same talent as the Celtics or Bucks, but there is something special happening with this franchise. The signing of Brunson in free agency has transformed this team and allowed the bench players to relax. New York has scorers that can strike in the starting five as well as coming off the bench. This makes winning difficult for the Knicks’ counterparts.
The Knicks should have the same strategy heading into game two as they did in the opener. If New York wins the rebounding battle, they have a great chance to go back to the Big Apple up 2-0. The biggest concern for the Knicks defensively should be Mitchell. He can score at will for Cleveland, and they must do a better job than they did in game one against the guard.
The Knicks weren’t overly efficient shooting the basketball, but they won the interior battle. If they shot better from the field, New York would have won game one by double digits.
Donovan Mitchell is the best player on the Cavaliers, and it’s not even close. Cleveland was dominated on Saturday in multiple areas, but Mitchell was still able to shine for his team. The other player who stepped up for Cleveland was Jarrett Allen, with 14 rebounds on the night. However, the rest of the team was cold for the most part, and they struggled to shoot from three.
In the NBA, it’s difficult to win without shooting well from beyond the arch. The Cavaliers were a victim of this fact, shooting 27.6% from three-point range. The Knicks didn’t hit many shots but made up for it in the paint. Cleveland must come into this game with a different level of intensity than the opener because New York is phenomenal on the road. We expect them to be better than they were as Cleveland is too talented not to show up two games in a row.
New York closed as a six-point underdog in the first game of the series. They ended up winning outright, but they’re still being given five points in game two. This may seem trappy, but the Knicks have a talented team that plays well in hostile road environments. New York’s road record speaks for itself, and they’ve earned our respect in this position.
Cleveland should bounce back, and they have performed well in clutch games at home. This is a must-win for the Cavaliers, so we recommend staying away from New York’s moneyline. Although, we still like the Knicks to keep it close after their showing in game one
PICK: Knicks +5 (-108)
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Tanner Kern has been working in the betting industry since 2020. He currently is a social media content creator at DraftKings and contributes to multiple sites in addition to WSN, including Forbes and VSiN. He is also the cohost of the podcast Ride the Line at WSN.
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