Cleveland Cavaliers Picks
2nd in Central
(52 - 30)
Next Game
CLE @ NY Picks
NBA Picks
Jalen Brunson o6.5 Total Assists (+110)
Cade Cunningham regularly got inside the Cleveland Cavaliers’ defense last round. That is the defensive cost of a starting backcourt of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. Cunningham then frequently moved the ball. That is the defensive perk of a starting frontcourt of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Brunson should see similar assists opportunities in this series.
CLE 1st Quarter +2.0 (-115)
The Knicks have been chilling for some time now, having last played on May 10. While that rest edge works in New York’s advantage over the course of the series, it could leave the Knicks flat in the first 12 minutes of Game 1. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, are coming off a do-or-die Game 7 win on Sunday and bring that mentality and momentum into MSG. Cleveland is playing its best basketball, having won four of its last five while more importantly proving it can win on the road in the playoffs. I’m not sure what a full 48 minutes brings, but I like the Cavs to come out swinging in Game 1 and cover the first quarter spread.
Jalen Brunson o6.5 Total Assists (+120)
Nobody benefits more from the Cleveland Cavaliers advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals than Jalen Brunson. Instead of dealing with the relentless pressure of Ausar Thompson, Brunson now gets a far more favorable matchup against Cleveland’s perimeter defenders. Brunson doesn’t need many screens to create offense. He can break defenders down off the dribble, force help defense, and put pressure on the drop coverage of Jarrett Allen, creating plenty of assist opportunities. I also love the scheduling spot for Game 1. The New York Knicks have had several days off, while Cleveland is coming off a grueling seven-game series with only one day of rest. We should see plenty of transition assist opportunities for Jalen Brunson against a fatigued defense. This prop is trading at +120, but I price it closer to -145.
NY -6.5 (-115)
The Knicks are in a spot that closely mirrors their Game 1 blowout win over the 76ers, facing a road team coming off an emotional and unexpected Game 7 win. New York has been dominant throughout the postseason, ranking first in playoff net rating. Since Game 4 of the Atlanta Hawks series, the Knicks are 7-0 with an insane average win margin of 26.4 points.
Jalen Brunson o2.5 3-Pointers Made (+100)
Jalen Brunson has knocked down 40.9% of his 66 three-point attempts, good for fourth-best among players with at least 60 three-point shots in the playoffs. He’s shooting a torrid 46.7% at home, over 10 percent better than the road. Brunson has hit 3+ treys in seven of 10 playoff games, including four of five at home.
New York’s offense has run through Karl-Anthony Towns during its seven-game win streak, and he’s dished 5+ dimes in every contest. He should be able to find teammates for open looks.
Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Miles McBride can all hit a pair of triples against Cleveland’s leaky defense. Bridges is finally back in his groove after a pitiful start to the playoffs. He’s hit 46.7% of his triples and gone for 2+ in three of his last five.
McBride is fresh off a seven-triple barrage in Game 4 against the 76ers, and Hart canned four in that contest.
Over its seven-game win streak, the Knicks rank first in Offensive Rating (130.5) and second in Defensive Rating (103). New York’s 27.5 Net Rating is nearly 11 points higher than second-place San Antonio (16.7).
Donovan Mitchell’s assists dropped from 5.7 in the regular season to just 2.9 in the playoffs, but his playmaking has translated to wins. In 63 total games with at least four assists, Mitchell and Cleveland went 44-19 straight up, including 4-0 in the playoffs
If Cleveland wants to stay competitive in Game 1, Mitchell will need to get his teammates involved.
Jalen Brunson attempted 7.1 threes per game this season and has hit 40.9% of his attempts in the playoffs. This Cleveland defense should provide Brunson looks anywhere but the rim, and he will gladly take those. He will stray from the rim on both ends of the court, though, given the Cavaliers’ quality post presences and, quite frankly, James Harden’s physical advantages on the glass compared to Brunson’s.
Consensus Picks
More Consensus
67% picking Cleveland vs New York to go Over
Total PicksCLE 401, NY 199
Top User Picks
More Picks'SouthernMotion' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (217.5)
SouthernMotion is #1 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (37-28-0) and +14150 units on the season.
'jetfan4340' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (218.5)
jetfan4340 is #1 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (48-30-1) and +13350 units on the season.
'moman' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (217.5)
moman is #10 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (37-26-0) and +9200 units on the season.
'bonny2bag' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (216.5)
bonny2bag is #2 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (38-35-0) and +13140 units on the season.
'88FAN' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Under (217.5)
88FAN is #2 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (25-14-0) and +12200 units on the season.
'merle1858' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Under (217.5)
merle1858 is #3 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (40-38-0) and +9700 units on the season.
'sssnnnlll' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Under (216.5)
sssnnnlll is #4 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (36-29-0) and +11450 units on the season.
'Seawep95' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Under (216.5)
Seawep95 is #4 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (40-28-0) and +9700 units on the season.
'PMaeson' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (216.5)
PMaeson is #5 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (35-24-0) and +11200 units on the season.
'billdo' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (217.5)
billdo is #7 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (35-31-1) and +8200 units on the season.
'chickenhawk3233' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Under (218.5)
chickenhawk3233 is #7 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (19-7-0) and +10350 units on the season.
'sandhog1' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (216.5)
sandhog1 is #8 on picking games that Cleveland is in with a record of (41-37-1) and +8100 units on the season.
'redsox99' picks Cleveland vs New York to go Over (217.5)
redsox99 is #9 on picking games that New York is in with a record of (32-32-0) and +9500 units on the season.