Knicks vs Cavaliers NBA Playoffs Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for Game 3 (Knicks Take Back Control at the Garden)

The NBA Playoffs keep rolling on Friday with a crucial Game 3 clash between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game Info

• Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
• Time: 8:30 PM ET
• Venue: Madison Square Garden -- New York City, New York
• Coverage: ABC, MSG, and BSOH

Game 1 went to the Knicks, but Game 2 could not have been more in the Cavs' favor, it was a bloodbath. Cleveland was up by more than 20 points for almost the entirety of the second half and the Knicks never showed any signs of life past the first quarter. The series now heads to Madison Square Garden tied at one game a piece.

The Knicks recaptured homecourt advantage in the series, so the mission was accomplished through two games, but the performance and effort were so bad in Game 2, Knicks fans aren't exactly comfortable heading into Game 3.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Odds & Spread

All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.

Knicks vs Cavaliers Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Knicks	-1.5	-112	-108	211	-110	-110	-124	106

The Knicks were the underdog in the odds in Game 1 and Game 2, but now on their home floor, the oddsmakers are giving them a slight 2-point edge. The Knicks were 3-1 against the Cavs during the regular season, but 2-0 at Madison Square Garden, even holding Cleveland to a dismal 81 points in one of those outings. The total sits at 211 for this game, which is the lowest of the Friday slate.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Betting Trends

• The Knicks are 43-33-2 against the spread this season.
• The Cavaliers have an against the spread record of 7-6-1 in their 14 games when underdogs by 1.5 points or more this season.
• This season, 42 of the Knicks' games have gone over the point total out of 79 chances.
• Cavaliers games this year have eclipsed the over/under 48.1% of the time (38 out of 79 games with a set point total).
• New York has covered the spread in a lower percentage of its home games than away games. It has covered 18 times in 39 games when playing at home, and it has covered 25 times in 39 games when playing on the road.
• Against the spread, Cleveland has performed better at home (22-15-2) than away (18-20-2).

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction & Pick

The Knicks looked as bad as you can in Game 2, but they're now returning home at the right time. The Garden will be rocking, creating an incredibly tough environment for the Cavaliers to play in. A veteran coach with tons of playoff experience like Tom Thibodeau will have the Knicks right by Friday and with the energy of the home crowd, I expect the Knicks to come out hot to open this game.

The Knicks beat the Cavs comfortably both times at home during the regular season and as long as Julius Randle's back is as healthy as he says, I expect a similar result here. The Cavs have done a great job defensively on the Knicks' secondary guys like Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes, coming back to the Garden should make them more comfortable, as they both feed off the home crowd.

Turnovers and allowing offensive rebounds were such a huge factor for the Knicks' loss in Game 2, but those are mental mistakes that can be corrected quickly. Expect the Knicks to look like a different team in Game 3.

Prediction: Knicks 102 | Cavaliers 92

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Best Bet

The Knicks have been a first-half team for much of this season — closing out games has caused them serious trouble at times. But coming out hot, especially at home has been a strong suit. The Knicks ranked No. 7 in the NBA in first-half points per game, at 58.8. Cleveland, on the other hand, was near the bottom, ranked No. 21 in that same metric at 56.7.

The Knicks also own the No. 5 first-quarter margin in the NBA, which only provides more momentum toward this bet.

The Knicks led by five points at halftime in Game 1, and that was against a hostile home Cleveland crowd. Now they have their own fans behind them and that changes everything for the better.

Bet: Knicks First Half Spread -0.5 (-118)

Watch FanDuel TV’s new NBA show “Run It Back” with Shams Charania, Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Eddie Gonzalez Monday-Wednesday at 10 ET on FanDuel TV, the FanDuel Youtube page, or download the podcast here: fanduel.com/podcasts.

David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. 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.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.