Will the Cavs stand up to the Knicks?
The New York Knicks from the East Coast await the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Central Division. The home side initially confirmed their upswing from last year, when they made it to the postseason for the first time in many years. But in the meantime, the home side got a little off track with two losses to Toronto and Indiana.
However, the defeats were well absorbed, because last Saturday night none other than the champions from Milwaukee were defeated. The visitors, however, have a solid record of six victories and four defeats to their name.
For the clash between the Knicks and Cavaliers, the forecast includes an away win – including a handicap of + 7.5 points for the visitors.
New York Knicks – Statistics & current form
The Knicks have impressed in their first games of the season, especially on the offensive end. With an average of 113 points per game, they are second in this ranking. Only the Hornets from Charlotte top this value. An important factor for this success is once again Julius Randle.
The power forward was nominated as an All-Star for the first time last season and won the award for “Most Improved Player”. That he is now performing strongly again was to be expected. RJ Barrett’s leap in performance is even more surprising.
The Canadian from Toronto is in his third season in the NBA and has always scored at least 20 points in the past six league games. In addition, he is currently just three points above his career high in scoring.
Does RJ Barrett impress again?
With that in mind, the odds on RJ Barrett scoring more than 17 points in the New York Knicks’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers are additionally interesting.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau, who is actually known for focusing specifically on the defence of his teams, can therefore be satisfied with the offence. Nevertheless, the odds on less than 108.5 points by the home side are equally appealing, as the visitors arrive with a very stable defence – they have only allowed an average of just under 105 points so far.
Predicted line-up of New York Knicks:
Randle – Barrett – Robinson – Fournier – Walker
Cleveland Cavaliers – Statistics & current form
The Cleveland Cavaliers failed to qualify for the playoffs in the past three years and the prospects of ending that drought, which began with the departure of “King James” to the Lakers, are limited. The Cavs’ roster is average at best and their win percentage has been below 31 percent for the last three seasons.
Head coach J. B. Bickerstaff, however, can certainly feel good about the start of the new season. After ten league games, the team from the Central Division is in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Cuyahoga River pros have not only achieved this respectable interim result thanks to an easy schedule, because they have already defeated NBA heavyweights such as the Denver Nuggets, and even away from home. The dress rehearsal at the guest game with the in-form pros from Toronto, who previously had five wins in a row, also ended victoriously.
Mobley is the hoped-for reinforcement
The Believeland basketball players can further congratulate themselves on the selection of Evan Mobley: The centre was picked third in the first round in last year’s draft and so far the 20-year-old has lived up to the high expectations with the 2016 champions.
Already three double-doubles in points and boards in the ten games played represent a very good debut in the NBA.
Predicted Cleveland Cavaliers lineup:
Wade – Mobley – Allen – Garland – Sexton
New York Knicks – Cleveland Cavaliers Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The last time the teams faced each other was last summer in the Las Vegas Summer League and the New Yorkers prevailed 103:94. The most recent NBA encounter also ended in favour of the four-time Eastern Conference winners on their home turf last January.
It’s not a new pattern in this pairing, as the Cavs have won just one of the past eight duels and the only victory was a very close 106-103 win at home just under ten months ago. Moreover, the pros from the Forest City have been waiting for their next win in the World’s Most Famous Arena for five attempts.
For the upcoming edition of New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers, the odds are leaning towards a home win.
New York Knicks – Cleveland Cavaliers Tip
The basketball players from the Big Apple proved last year that they are no longer the laughing stock of the NBA, and the start of the new season confirms this assessment. However, the guests, although they have to do without some players like Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love due to a quarantine measure, also present themselves stronger than expected.
In addition, the rookie Mobley has added to the squad and the youngster is playing as light-heartedly as efficiently in his first season in the NBA. For the Knicks’ game against the Cavs, the tip therefore includes an away win, including a handicap of +7.5 points for the visitors from Ohio.
While the 1970 and 1973 champions can still be described as favourites, the Cavs are not likely to suffer a defeat. They have already proven that they are also stable away from home, with four wins in seven away games.
