Cavaliers vs. Knicks Picks and Prediction – 4/11/2025

Cleveland Cavaliers (63-16) vs. New York Knicks (50-29)
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
TV: ESPN

Previous Games:

  • Cavaliers: Coming off a Thursday night game vs. Indiana

  • Knicks: Played Thursday night vs. Detroit

Head-to-Head:

New York has failed to cover in five straight games against Cleveland. Despite home-court advantage, the Knicks have consistently underperformed versus the spread in this matchup.

Cleveland Cavaliers Breakdown:

Cleveland has clinched the top spot in the conference and may opt to rest key players, but their depth has remained competitive. The Cavaliers have covered +10.5 in 9 of their last 10 games and have averaged 121.3 points per game in that stretch. Even without full effort from stars like Donovan Mitchell or Jarrett Allen, Cleveland’s pace, ball movement, and efficiency from beyond the arc (38.4%) help them stay in games.

Key Players:

  • Donovan Mitchell: 24.0 PPG

  • Darius Garland: 20.5 PPG, 6.7 APG

  • Jarrett Allen: 9.8 RPG

New York Knicks Breakdown:

The Knicks are still battling for playoff positioning and will be motivated, but they’re on the second night of a back-to-back and have failed to cover large spreads recently. They’ve covered just 8 of their last 20 when laying 10+ points, and 0 of their last 5 against Cleveland. New York is shooting well overall (49.9% FG) but often lets teams hang around late.

Key Players:

  • Jalen Brunson: 26.2 PPG, 7.4 APG

  • Karl-Anthony Towns: 24.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG

  • OG Anunoby: 24.1 PPG

Betting Trends:

Cleveland Cavaliers:

  • 9-1 ATS in last 10 games with a +10.5 line

  • Covered +10.5 in 6 straight games

  • Averaging 121.3 PPG in last 10

New York Knicks:

  • 6-1 ATS in last 7 overall

  • 0-5 ATS in last 5 vs. Cleveland

  • Failed to cover -10.5 in 3 of last 5 games

Exact Score Prediction:

New York Knicks 119 – Cleveland Cavaliers 113

Our Best Bet:

Cleveland Cavaliers +9.5 (-110)

Despite New York's motivation and home-court advantage, this spread is too generous given Cleveland’s recent performance against the number. The Cavaliers have been reliable at covering large underdog lines—even when resting starters—thanks to their deep rotation and high offensive efficiency. With both teams on a back-to-back, expect a tighter contest than the line suggests.

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