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The New York Knicks will be hoping to win the season series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. New York, which lost 95-89 on Nov. 1, will be looking to bounce back in their third and final meeting. The Knicks, though, are likely to find it tough as they will be without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
Cleveland is also dealing with injuries as both Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell are questionable. Both were downgraded to out in the Cavaliers’ 110-100 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday. New York’s odds of winning on the road will improve if the two continue to be inactive.
Injuries to key players have caused the Knicks to struggle. They are only 4-8 since February when OG Anunoby went down with an elbow injury. Jalen Brunson, who has also been dealing with health issues, has been doing a yeoman’s job trying to carry his team.
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Preview, prediction and betting tips
The Cavaliers will host the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN will air the game live while Bally Sports Ohio and MSG are the local networks covering the game. Streaming is also available by subscribing to the NBA League Pass.
Basketball fans can listen to SiriusXM, WTAM/WMMS/La Mega and ESPN NY 98.7 to catch the action.
Moneyline: Knicks (+170) vs. Cavaliers (-205)
Spread: Knicks (+5.0) vs. Cavaliers (-5.0)
Total (O/U): Knicks (o213.0 -110) vs. Cavaliers (u213.0 -110)
Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Game preview
The remaining New York Knicks players have been giving it all despite the injuries. Still, losing three starters has been tough. In last week’s four-game homestand, their only win came against the Detroit Pistons. They couldn’t get past the Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors.
Unsurprisingly, the Knicks have struggled against elite teams with plenty of scoring options. They will find the same challenge when they visit the Cavaliers. Tom Thibodeau will be hoping his defense holds up to drag Cleveland to a slugfest and try to steal a win late in the game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers went 18-3 from January until before the All-Star break. Since action resumed, they stumbled to a 3-3 record due to a dip in their performance on both ends of the floor.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff is confident, however, that his team has worked out its issues. They will know if they have ironed out their kinks against a Knicks team that will push them hard despite playing undermanned.
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Starting lineups
PF - Precious Achiuwa, C - Isaiah Hartenstein, PG - Jalen Brunson, SG - Josh Hart and SG - Donte DiVincenzo will start for Thibodeau.
Bickerstaff will likely field PF - Evan Mobley, C - Jarrett Allen, PG - Darius Garland and SG - Max Strus. Isaac Okoro will start if Donovan Mitchell is declared out.
Editor's note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Betting tips
Jalen Brunson gets a 29.5 over/under points prop. The New York Knicks’ All-Star guard has been in sizzling form over their last three games. He is averaging 32.0 points on 44.7% shooting, including 40.7% from deep during that span. The Knicks badly need him to score and he could get past his points prop with the way he has been playing.
Donovan Mitchell has a 24.5 over/under points prop. “Spida” has struggled a bit since the All-Star break due to knee soreness, averaging 22.0 points since the games resumed. The Cleveland Cavaliers also do not rely solely on him to put up points. He might not get past his points prop on Sunday.
New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Prediction
The New York Knicks haven’t been able to overcome the injuries to three key players. They will compete but there’s only so an injury-riddled roster can do. The Cleveland Cavaliers did quite well when Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were out injured. They’ll figure out a way to win games consistently even if Donovan Mitchell is held out.
It will likely be a seesaw battle before Cleveland’s deeper and healthier roster prevails in the end over New York and its +5.0 spread.
