RJ Barrett carried the New York Knicks to a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday afternoon, but his team will be a bit battered when they play their second game in as many days to open a three-game road trip in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.
The Cavs come into this one playing well and will look to continue their climb up the Eastern Conference standings and get a win as 6-point home favorites.
Who will cover the spread? Find out in our free NBA betting picks and predictions for Knicks vs. Cavaliers on January 24.
Knicks vs Cavaliers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Cavaliers opened this matchup as 7.5-point home favorites but it’s the Knicks who have seen the early money, moving the line down to 6. The total hit the board at 203.5 and has been bet down slightly to 202.5.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Knicks vs Cavaliers predictions
- Prediction: Cavaliers -6 (-110)
- Prediction: Over 202.5 (-110)
- Best bet: Jarrett Allen double-double (-120)
Predictions made on 01/24/2022 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Knicks vs Cavaliers game info
• Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
• Date: Monday, January 24, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Ohio, MSG
Knicks vs Cavaliers betting preview
Injuries
Knicks: Nerlens Noel C (Questionable), Mitchell Robinson C (Questionable), Kemba Walker PG (Questionable), Derrick Rose PG (Out).
Cavaliers: Lauri Markkanen SF (Out), Rajon Rondo PG (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Knicks are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games as a road underdog, while the Cavaliers are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games at home. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Cavaliers.
Knicks vs Cavaliers picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Yes, the Knicks gutted out a win over the Clippers on Sunday afternoon thanks to a 28-point performance from RJ Barrett, but things will get a little tougher tonight when they visit the Cavaliers.
The Cavs have won six of their last seven games and have been getting the job done at both ends of the floor, ranking sixth in net rating over that span.
On offense, point guard Darius Garland looks like an All-Star, averaging 19.8 points and 8.1 assists per game while Cleveland’s twin towers on the inside - Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley - are a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, Allen and Mobley should be a handful for a Knicks team whose two best big men, Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel are both questionable on Monday.
The Knicks, on the other hand, are coming off a win, but the offense remains inconsistent. They rank 20th in offensive rating and 21st in effective field goal percentage since the calendar flipped to 2022. That doesn’t bode well against a Cavs team that ranks 8th in defensive rating this month.
The other problem facing the Knicks is that the defense isn’t consistent, either. In years past, even if the offense wasn’t working, you could rely on them to slow their opponents down. Not so much anymore. New York ranks a middle-of-the-pack 14th when it comes to defensive rating.
New York just doesn’t match up well with the more well-rounded Cleveland, as was evidenced in the Cavs' 126-109 victory over the Knicks earlier in the season. Bet the home team to cover the spread.
Prediction: Cavaliers -6 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
It’s not a surprise to see a total this low for these two slow-tempo teams, but 202.5 feels just low enough to take a stab at the Over.
For starters, even though the Knicks don’t give up a ton of points, they are still allowing 104.2 points per game over their last five games and are facing a Cavs offense that is playing well, ranking ninth in offensive rating over their last seven games while putting up 107.6 points per contest.
And though the Knicks offense is inconsistent, they have managed 104.9 points per game over their last seven.
Those numbers don’t sound great on their own, but they should be good enough to eclipse the modest total in this one.
Prediction: Over 202.5 (-110)
Best bet
As noted, the Knicks are in a tough spot. Despite yesterday's win over the Clippers, they are playing their second game in as many days and took some hits to their frontcourt as both Noel and Robinson are questionable for this game.
That could mean a big day for Cavs’ big men, and especially Allen. Allen has been a force on the inside for the Cavs this season averaging 16.3 points and 11 rebounds per game and he has been a double-double machine since the calendar flipped over to 2022.
Allen has recorded a double-double eight times in his last 11 games while averaging 14.5 points and 11.7 rebounds over that stretch. He also went for 18 points and 17 boards in his only other meeting against New York this season. Bet him to have another big game here.
Pick: Jarrett Allen double-double (-120)
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