New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 02/21/2025

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Friday, February 21, 2025

Venue:  Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Knicks +8, Cavaliers -8; Over/Under:  241 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Knicks +8, Cavaliers -8; Over/Under:  241 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Knicks +8, Cavaliers -8; Over/Under:  241 points

New York Knicks:  36-18 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)

Cleveland Cavaliers:  44-10 (1st place, Central Division)

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New York Knicks:  8-2 last 10

Cleveland Cavaliers:  8-2 last 10

The Knicks are entering this game with a 36-18 record overall this season and they are 17-8 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 2 game winning streak with wins coming against the Indiana Pacers and the Atlanta Hawks, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Chicago Bulls still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Hawks, Karl-Anthony Towns led the team in points in that game with 44 while Jalen Brunson was next on the team with 36 points. Jalen Brunson led the team in assists in that game with 8 while Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns each led the team in rebounds with 10. They were 57.4% from the field, 42.3% from 3-point range, and 81.1% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 118.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 112.5 PPG against them. The Knicks have an ATS record of 27-26-1 this season and their O/U record is 32-21-1.

The Cavaliers are entering this game with a 44-10 record overall this season and they are 25-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 4 game winning streak with wins coming against the Detroit Pistons, the Washington Wizards, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Toronto Raptors, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Brooklyn Nets still to be played on Thursday night. In their game against the Raptors, Donovan Mitchell led the team in points in that game with 21 while De'Andre Hunter was next on the team with 18 points. Darius Garland led the team in assists in that game with 8 while Evan Mobley led the team in rebounds with 15. They were 48.5% from the field, 34% from 3-point range, and 85% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 122.7 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 111.9 PPG against them. The Cavaliers have an ATS record of 35-19 this season and their O/U record is 36-18.

The current betting odds have the Cavaliers listed as an 8 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers have looked great in their games this season with their 44-10 record overall which has them right at the top of the East with the best record in the entire NBA. They have also looked great on their home court with their 25-4 home record which is also one of the best in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Knicks have looked really good in their games this season with their 36-18 record overall which has them right near the top of the East with one of the best records in the NBA. They have been a good road team too with their 17-8 road record. Both of these teams have been really hot lately as both are 8-2 in their last 10 games and both teams are also playing on a back-to-back here too. They both have weaker opponents that are under .500 on Thursday, but the Cavs do have some more momentum on their side. The Knicks went into the All-Star break winning 2 games in a row while the Cavaliers went into the break winning 4 games in a row, and the Cavs have also been a lot more consistent this season too. The Cavaliers also have a bit of an advantage here since the Knicks are missing some key players in the lineup while the Cavaliers are pretty much fully healthy. This is going to be a really tight game between two of the best teams in the East right now, but the injuries aren't going to help the Knicks on a back-to-back here so the Cavs do have the edge as they are in a better position to handle this back-to-back. The Cavaliers have also been better this season offensively and defensively, and they will bring their best effort for another top team in the East. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cavaliers to cover the spread in this game. 

Knicks Cavaliers Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Friday, February 21, 2025 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Cavaliers 131 Knicks 120.

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New York Knicks: 3-8 ATS on the road when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 70%). 15-22 1H ATS revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a favorite. 18-9 OVER revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a home favorite. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: 24-16 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points. 39-24 ATS versus good offensive teams - scoring 116+ points/game. 35-20 OVER versus good teams - outscoring their opponents by 3+ points/game.

New York Knicks:  J. Hart (SG) Out - Knee. O. Anunoby (PF) Day To Day - Foot. P. Dadiet (SG) Out - Toe. M. Robinson (C) Out - Ankle.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  T. Jerome (SG) Day To Day - Calf. D. Wade (PF) Out - Knee. I. Okoro (SG) Day To Day - Shoulder.

“It’s been fun. It’s been a steady process throughout every game. It’s been fun to go through this journey with the guys we have. I’ve enjoyed every second of it.” - Jalen Brunson on the team this season.

"I think his humility, the way he goes about his business, he works his [expletive] off quietly, he competes quietly. And people, maybe they want more 'woof' in it. He goes about his business quietly with a humility." - Kenny Atkinson on Evan Mobley this season. 

PG Jalen Brunson

SG Mikal Bridges

SF Landry Shamet

PF Precious Achiuwa

C Karl-Anthony Towns

PG Darius Garland

SG Donovan Mitchell

SF Max Strus

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

PPG: J. Brunson (26.1)

APG: J. Brunson (7.5)

Reb/G: K. Towns (13.4)

PPG: D. Mitchell (24)

APG: D. Garland (6.6)

Reb/G: J. Allen (10.3)

Coaches:

New York Knicks: Tom Thibodeau (5th season)

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson (1st season)