Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, Feb. 24

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks picked up back-to-back wins over the weekend, erasing an 18-point deficit on Saturday night to beat Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.

That has kept the Knicks in the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, especially after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost on Sunday afternoon against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now, the Knicks and Cavs are set to face off on Tuesday night with the Cavs set as a 4.5-point home favorite.

New York is 2-0 in this season's series, last beating the Cavs in comeback fashion on Christmas Day. The Cavs have played a lot better since then, and they’ve won eight of their last 10 games to pull within two games of the No. 2 seed in the East.

The Cavs’ trade for James Harden brings a new wrinkle to this rivalry, as these teams could very well meet in the playoffs as they are two of the true title contenders in the East.

Let’s dive into the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference showdown.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Knicks +4.5 (-118)
Cavs -4.5 (-102)

Moneyline

Knicks: +142
Cavs: -170

Total

232.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Knicks vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, Feb. 24
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Rocket Arena
How to Watch (TV): Peacock
Knicks record: 37-21
Cavs record: 36-22

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Knicks Injury Report

Miles McBride – out
Pacome Dadiet – out
Kevin McCullar Jr. – out
Dillon Jones – questionable

Cavs Injury Report

Max Strus – out
Riley Minix – out
Tristan Enaruna – out

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bets

Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

Mitchell Robinson OVER 6.5 Rebounds (-142)

Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson is one of my favorite prop targets on Tuesday, and I shared why in today’s best NBA props for SI Betting:

New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson has been a beast on the glass this season, averaging 8.7 rebounds per game, including 4.5 offensive boards per night.

Robinson has been a major issue for the Cleveland Cavaliers in recent years, including this season on Christmas Day when he grabbed 13 rebounds in less than 17 minutes of action.

Cleveland is 14th in the NBA in rebound percentage, but I think Robinson is undervalued at this line. He’s grabbed at least seven boards in each of his last seven regular-season meetings with the Cavs.

The Knicks big man is playing less than 20 minutes per game, yet he’s averaging 13.4 rebound chances per night. He’s a great bet to come down with at least half of those on Tuesday.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

New York has won both of the meetings between these teams this season, although both of those came before the James Harden trade.

Still, I like the Knicks as 4.5-point underdogs on Tuesday night to at least cover in this game.

Cleveland has been rolling since the deadline, as it ranks third in the league in net rating over its last 10 games, but the Knicks aren’t far behind at No. 6. New York also has the No. 5 defense in the NBA during that stretch.

Even though the Cavs made the Harden deal, they don’t have an elite wing defender to deal with Jalen Brunson, and I detailed their struggles against the Knicks on the glass so far this season.

Cleveland is also just 11-17 against the spread as a home favorite this season, and it’s coming off a bad loss against a short-handed Thunder team as a road favorite on Sunday.

I’m buying the Knicks to hang around in this game after beating Cleveland by eight and two in their first two meetings this season (including one where Robinson and Josh Hart did not play).

Pick: Knicks +4.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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