New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – October 31, 2023 – Odds & Predictions

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the NBA games on tap for Tuesday night features the New York Knicks (1-2) taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-2). 

This is the first meeting between these two teams since the Knicks eliminated the Cavaliers in five games during last year’s playoffs. Additionally, they will play a home-and-home series. Cleveland will be at home on Tuesday night and the venue will shift to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. 

Without further delay, let us look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why. 

Tipoff

When: Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Venue: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

The Knicks come into this matchup having dropped two of their first three games of the season. This includes a 96-87 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. RJ Barrett paced New York with 18 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Jalen Brunson – who had scored 31 points the night before against the Atlanta Hawks – was limited to 14 points. He shot 4-for-14 from the field. Overall, New York shot 36.7 percent from the field and 18.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers enter this matchup with a 1-2 record as well. After a season-opening 114-113 win over the Brooklyn Nets, they followed that up with a pair of losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder (108-105) and the Indiana Pacers (125-113). 

In the team’s loss to the Pacers, Evan Mobley led the way with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. Caris LeVert chipped in with 31 points to go along with eight assists. Max Strus tallied 21 points, 11 boards, and six assists. 

The Picks

The Spread

The Knicks are a 3.5-point favorite in this matchup. Here are a few trends that suggest why going with the road team to cover is the smart play.

• The Knicks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight matchups against the Cavaliers.
• New York is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 road games against Cleveland.
• The Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last six games. 
• Cleveland is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games at home. 

Prediction: New York Knicks (-3.5)

Over/Under

At the time of this writing, the projected over/under for this contest opened at 216 points (via Oddshark). That line has moved to 214 points (via DraftKings). Here is why I would advise going with the under here.

• The UNDER total has prevailed 10 times in New York’s last 14 games.
• In New York’s last 13 games against Eastern Conference opponents, the UNDER total has cashed in nine times. 
• The UNDER has hit for New in each of its last five games against Eastern Conference teams. 
• In Cleveland’s last 10 games, the UNDER has hit eight times. 
• The total has gone UNDER five times in Cleveland’s last six contests against teams in the Atlantic Division. 

Prediction: Under 214 points

Player Prop Bets

My first key player to watch in this matchup is Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than 21.5 points and -115 odds of scoring less than 21.5 points. 

In 12 regular-season games against the Cavaliers, Brunson has averaged 16.3 points per contest. However, in the five-game set between these two ball clubs in the playoffs he averaged 24 points per outing. And on the heels of a subpar showing against New Orleans, look for Brunson to exceed the 21.5-point threshold. 

My other key player to keep an eye on in this matchup is Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell. He sat out the team’s last game and his status is questionable for this matchup as well. He currently has -115 odds of scoring more than more than 30.5 points and -110 odds of scoring less than 30.5 points. 

He scored 27 points in the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets. However, he erupted for 43 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He shot 15-for-27 from the floor and 4-for-11 from beyond the arc. 

He also tallied eight boards, five assists, two blocks, and three steals. Mitchell has played against the New York Knicks 19 times, including the playoffs. In those 19 contests, he has averaged 24.1 points per contest, which is a few points lower than his projected total for this matchup. 

And in the five-game set in the first round of last year’s playoffs, he averaged 23.2 points per outing. Based on these factors, I am going with the UNDER for Donovan Mitchell. 

James’s Picks

• Spread: Knicks (-3.5)

• Over/Under: UNDER 214 points

• PPB #1: Jalen Brunson OVER 31.5 points
• PPB #2: Donovan Mitchell UNDER 30.5 points