Have you ever lost a bet and in doing so, only become more certain that bet will win in the next game? It is a bold realization, but sometimes it is justified.
When realizing just how badly the New York Knicks played in Game 1, only to escape with an overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, some lost Tuesday bets could preview winning Thursday bets.
These Cavaliers vs. Knicks props and NBA picks double down on two bets from Game 1, certain New York will shoot better in Game 2 on Thursday, May 21.
Best Cavaliers vs Knicks props for Game 2
| Player | Pick |  |
|---|---|---|
 Karl-Anthony Towns |
Over 1.5 3-pointers | +125 |
 James Harden |
Over 17.5 points | -120 |
| Jalen Brunson |
Over 6.5 assists | +110 |
Game 2 Prop #1: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 1.5 3-pointers
Karl-Anthony Towns hit just one 3-pointer in Game 1, yet this price has fallen to +125 now from +145 then. Why? Because he took five 3-pointers.
With the New York Knicks center, the question to consider in these moments is not how many 3-pointers he will make but how many 3-pointers he will take. He has made a career from beyond the arc, even if sometimes reluctant to chuck from deep.
Towns shot 36.8% from beyond the arc this season while taking 4.8 threes per 36 minutes. Through 11 postseason games, Towns has shot 44.1% from beyond the arc while taking just 3.8 threes per 36 minutes.
Simply enough, Towns hardly needed to play or play well in the seven games closing out the Hawks and the 76ers. He needs to play and play well against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
If Towns takes five 3-pointers again tonight, making at least two is far more likely than not.
Game 2 Prop #2: James Harden Over 17.5 points
The jokes the last two days have been fair. Is Donovan McNabb or Phillip Rivers the more apt NFL comparison to James Harden’s postseason career? Has a former MVP ever been described as a “journeyman” before?
Harden was Cleveland’s weak link in its fourth quarter collapse. He should be lampooned.
But he is also still James Harden. He cleared this prop in five of seven games against the Pistons, a better defense than the Knicks even if no one in New York would agree with that. For that matter, he cleared it in six of seven games against the Raptors.
Is James Harden a clutch player? No.
Has there been an overreaction to his Tuesday struggles? Very much so.
Much like Towns’ five 3-point attempts, the most notable Harden stat is that he took 16 shots in Game 1, going 1-for-8 from deep. No matter how poorly Harden plays, there is no reason to think he will shoot that poorly again, creating some value for us here.
Game 2 Prop #3: Jalen Brunson Over 6.5 assists
The Knicks really escaped on Tuesday, huh? Through three quarters, they shot 4-of-22 from deep, 18.2%. Not to get too far into the math here, but that is bad.
From the field, they shot 26-for-60, 43.3%. Again, not so good.
Then New York went 6-for-9 from deep in the fourth quarter and in overtime, part of going 16-for-28 from the field.
Jalen Brunson ended with six assists. Imagine if the Knicks had not been absolute garbage for three quarters and he then had to go nuclear in the fourth quarter.
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