Cavaliers vs Knicks 2023 Playoffs Preview (Odds, Season Series and All-Time History)

The 2023 NBA Playoffs are here, and there are several exciting matchups to look forward to. One series fans have circled is the 4-seed Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the 5-seed New York Knicks in the first round.

These two sides have plenty of history together. Here's everything you need to know before they square off this postseason.

Cavaliers vs Knicks All-Time Playoff History

The Cavaliers and Knicks have played nine playoff games against each other before the 2023 postseason. New York owns the all-time lead in this matchup, going 8-1 across their three previous series.

The Knicks and Cavaliers first collided in the first round of the 1978 playoffs, resulting in a 2-0 win for the former. They clashed again in Round 1 in 1995 only for New York to win again, this time by a 3-1 series effort.

Fans on both sides didn't have to wait longer for a third opening-round matchup between the two foes. The Knicks eliminated the Cavaliers from the 1996 postseason with a 3-0 sweep.

Cavaliers-Knicks Season Series 2023

As Eastern Conference foes, the Cavaliers and Knicks faced off four times against each other during the 2022-23 campaign. New York got the better of Cleveland this time around, winning the season series 3-1.

The Cavaliers started things off on a good note, picking up a 121-108 win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Oct. 30. Unfortunately, it went downhill after that. The Knicks scored a 92-81 victory on Dec. 4 before winning again, 105-103, on Jan. 24. Both of those victories came at Madison Square Garden.

The two sides met for a fourth and final time on March 31, ending in a 130-116 win for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson led the charge in that game, tallying a career-high 48 points while throwing in nine assists for good measure.

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Cavaliers vs Knicks Odds and Prediction for 2023 Playoff Series

Even though the Knicks won the season series, the Cavaliers are favored to win the playoff matchup, per FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. Cleveland sits at -215 odds to win the series while New York enters as the +176 underdog. A seven-game series is the most likely scenario at +190.

The Cavaliers took a major step this year with the addition of Donovon Mitchell in the offseason. The four-time NBA All-Star lived up to his potential, averaging 28.3 PPG on the best shooting splits of his career (.484/.386/.867). That's not even to mention Cleveland's other key contributors like Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, who all had respectable seasons.

The Knicks also boast some notable talent. Jalen Brunson averaged career-highs in both points (24.0) and assists (6.2) in his first campaign with New York. Julius Randle also returned to his all-star form by averaging a slash line of 25.1 PTS/ 10.0 REB/4.1 AST.

It's hard to go against oddsmakers because this is a series that could realistically go the distance. The Knicks have the regular-season edge, but the Cavaliers are a big, deep team that's built for the postseason. A seven-game series (+190) seems like the right call.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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