Cleveland-cavaliers vs New York Knicks Picks and Predictions April 2nd 2025

Cleveland-Cavaliers vs New York Knicks April 2nd 2025

At 7:00 ET, the New York Knicks will travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers in an Eastern Conference matchup. ESPN will have the coverage for this game.

The Cavaliers are currently favored by 10.5 points and have a record of 60-15. The Knicks are 48-27 and have won three straight games. The over/under line for this game is set at 229.5.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Key Information

• Sport: NBA
• Teams: New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers
• Where: Cleveland at Rocket Arena
• Date: Wednesday, April 2nd
• Betting Odds CLE -10.5, NY +400 | CLE -532 O/U 229.5

The Knicks Can Win If…

With a 105-91 win over the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks improved to 48-27 this season. Playing at home, New York entered the game as -13 point favorites and covered the spread with the 14-point victory. The total points of 196 fell well short of the 218.5 O/U line.

The Knicks took control early, going on a 12-0 run to extend their lead from 32-26 to 44-26. After the 76ers won the 3rd quarter 28-21, New York entered the 4th with an 80-70 lead and outscored Philadelphia 25-21 in the final period.

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 27 points in their win over the 76ers, scoring 13 in the 1st quarter and adding 7 more in the 4th. Landry Shamet hit 6 threes at 54.5%, finishing with 20 points, including 8 in the final period.

Mitchell Robinson contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field. The Knicks shot 42.4% overall, making 12 threes at a 38.7% rate.

The Knicks’ defense shined in their win over the 76ers, holding them to just 91 points. Their best quarter was the 2nd, where they allowed only 16 points. They gave up 26 points in the 1st and 28 in the 3rd but tightened up in the 4th, allowing 21 points.

From beyond the arc, the Knicks were outstanding, limiting the 76ers to 6 made threes on 19% shooting. They also recorded 10 steals and 4 blocks. On the boards, they grabbed 30 defensive rebounds while giving up 13 offensive boards.

• Through their last three road games, New York has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 106 points per game.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Knicks have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
• Over their last three games, the Knicks have an over/under record of 1-2 and are 3-0 vs. the spread.

The Cavaliers Can Win If…

The Cavaliers improved to 60-15 with a 127-122 win over the Clippers on Sunday. Cleveland was favored by 7.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, winning by five. The total score of 249 points went over the 230.5-point line.

A 16-0 run early in the game helped Cleveland build a 36-17 lead. They won the 1st quarter 37-25 and the 3rd quarter 37-24, but the Clippers fought back in the 2nd and 4th quarters, outscoring the Cavs 39-31 and 34-22, respectively.

Jarrett Allen’s 25 points on 91.7% shooting led the Cavaliers to a 127-122 win over the Clippers, with Donovan Mitchell adding 24 points and 7 assists. Evan Mobley contributed 22 points, with 15 coming in the 3rd quarter.

Cleveland shot 50.5% from the field, making 15 threes at a 33.3% clip. Mitchell hit just 22.2% from deep, while Mobley connected on 3 threes at 50% efficiency.

Defensively, the Cavaliers had strong performances in the 1st and 3rd quarters, but they struggled in the 2nd and 4th, allowing a total of 122 points. Cleveland gave up 39 points in the 2nd quarter but managed to limit the damage in the 3rd, where they allowed just 24 points.

From beyond the arc, the Cavaliers allowed the Clippers to hit 16 threes at a 39% clip. Cleveland sent the Clippers to the line 22 times, where they made 16 free throws. The Cavaliers grabbed 35 defensive rebounds, gave up 10 offensive boards, and recorded 11 steals.

• Across their last three home contests, Cleveland has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 121 points per game.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Cavaliers have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.
• In their last three games, the Cavaliers have an over/under record of 2-1 and are 0-3 vs. the spread.

The Lean

The Cavaliers is our pick to not only win with a projected score of 128-115. But we also favor them to cover the spread. Our bet is on the Cavaliers at -10.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 229.5 and given that our model is projecting 243 points between the teams, we like the over.

Building on a Historic Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers can now match the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history when they welcome the visiting New York Knicks on Wednesday. With Sunday’s 127-122 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland (60-15) reached 60 wins for only the third time since their NBA debut in 1970. The team now has an opportunity to surpass their single-season win record of 66, set in 2008-09.

“It’s the first time without LeBron that Cleveland has got to 60 wins. It’s something special for the city, it’s something special for us,” said Jarrett Allen. Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers’ leading scorer at 24 points per game, added, “Everybody has continued to take a step.”

High Stakes in the Eastern Playoff Race

Cleveland currently holds a four-game lead over reigning NBA champion Boston for home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, the Cavaliers are three games behind NBA-leading Oklahoma City for the top overall record and home court in a potential NBA Finals series. The stretch schedule is daunting, as the Cavs are set to play two of the conference’s top four teams four times in their final seven regular-season games. Wednesday’s matchup with New York is the first of two games between the Cavaliers and the third-place Knicks, with additional challenges from fourth-place Indiana looming.

The Cavaliers have already taken the first two meetings against the Knicks this season—110-104 on the road on October 28 and 142-105 on February 21 in Cleveland. In the most recent meeting, Mitchell scored 27 points, Evan Mobley added 21, and Ty Jerome contributed 19 off the bench. Although Jerome is currently sidelined with a knee injury and won’t play on Wednesday, coach Kenny Atkinson expects the reserve guard back before the playoffs. “He definitely wants to get three or four games in,” Atkinson said. “We want him to get his rhythm before that.”

Knicks Looking to Bounce Back

The New York Knicks (48-27) face their own challenges, particularly with star Jalen Brunson returning after an ankle injury; he last played on March 6 but was cleared at the beginning of the week. Brunson expressed hope of playing before the playoffs. The Knicks have improved to 8-5 since his injury and extended their winning streak to three games on Tuesday with a 105-91 victory over a struggling Philadelphia 76ers squad. OG Anunoby led the team with 27 points in that game, as the Knicks also played without Karl-Anthony Towns due to knee soreness. In Towns’ absence, Mitchell Robinson made his second start of the season, recording 14 points and 14 rebounds with two blocks.

“We’ll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said about Towns’ availability against the Cavaliers. Thibodeau, who recently tied Pat Riley with the fourth-most wins for a head coach in Knicks franchise history at 223 victories, stressed the importance of sharing the credit with his team. “All that stuff, it’s a byproduct of having great players,” he said.

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Looking Ahead

As both teams vie for improved playoff seeding, this clash is pivotal. The Cavaliers are riding high on a historic season, while the Knicks, despite some setbacks, are working hard to bounce back and regain momentum. The outcome on Wednesday could significantly shape the final stretch of the Eastern Conference race.

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