Fortunate has not favored the Cleveland Cavaliers of late. They still boast the best record in the East, but have fallen in recent power rankings due to significant struggles now going back a couple weeks. The Cleveland faithful are hopeful that a good game on Saturday night against a very weak New York Knicks team that is also racking up the losses will help them restart an otherwise strong season.
Don't miss the hardwood action from Madison Square Garden at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 4, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ABC.
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Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers are still in the midst of some significant struggles as shown by their Monday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Sure, Dallas has been playing better basketball of late with a strong defense and improved—though still lacking—offense, but the loss is still a testament to Cleveland’s latest struggles which have seen the team drop seven of its last 11 games. Things have looked even worse ATS as the team’s gone 3-12 ATS in its last 15 contests. The under has also now paid out in back-to-back games as the offense has pulled back after the over was 5-0 in the previous five games due in part to a woeful defense.
On the other side of the court on Saturday will be a Knicks team that should provide a nice reprieve for the Cavs, though the same could’ve been said about Dallas.
Still, New York isn’t playing nearly as well as Dallas right now, dropping 16 of its last 21 games. The results have been better ATS, however. The Knicks are 6-5 ATS in their last 11 games. They’re also hosting on Saturday and they’re 15-9 ATS overall at Madison Square Garden.
Injury Report
Derrick Rose missed the last game these two teams played and Cleveland overmatched the Knicks on the outside.
Rose is injured again and has been out back-to-back games with a left ankle-sprain and is a question for this weekend.
The point guard is the team’s biggest offensive threat in the backcourt with 17.9 PPG. He struggles shooting deep, but still provides an extra dynamic around Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.
Speaking of Porzingis, he’s dealing with an illness that impacted him during the week and could play a factor on Saturday. The number two man to Anthony had already been slipping in production. He’s averaging 18.6 PPG and seven RPG, but an Achillies injury has cost him a few games and his production when on the court in his last eight games is down to 12.4 PPG and just over four RPG.
Injuries are a bigger concern for the Knicks, but a pesky back injury has hampered Kevin Love. He’s missed two of the team’s last seven games and seen his playing time reduced in a few others. It’s no coincidence that the team is 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS since Love’s injury.
Last Meeting
This is matchup number three between these two teams with the first two pretty much going as you would expect: blowout victories for the Cavs.
Cleveland kicked off the season with a 117-88 win over New York at home while the Knicks shot just 36.8-percent from the floor and had no real answer for any of Cleveland’s big three. They did keep LeBron to just 19-points, but the superstar still had a triple-double while Kyrie Irving and Love took on a bigger role in the scoring.
In their last meeting, in New York back in December, the Knicks fell 126-94. They shot a bit better, but were still dominated on the fast break, getting out scored 23-8. Cleveland also owned the parameter, shooting 55-percent beyond the arc with Irving sinking four of six shots on the outside in route to his game-high 28-points.
Irving has led both teams in scoring in both matchups so far and is a big threat again on the outside.
Meanwhile, the Knick’s top player—Anthony—managed just eight points inside in their last meeting while James and Love had 25 and 21 respectively. Meanwhile, in the center position, while Tristian Thompson scored just three points in their last meeting, all on free throws, he still nabbed 20 rebounds to help Cleveland top New York on the boards, too.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Cavs’ offense has taken a step back in its last two games, having some issues without Love on the court, but the Knicks have been a bad defensive team all season so Cleveland should find success against them behind James and Irving.
Look for a high scoring game, but don’t bank on the Knicks to be able to keep up if both Porzingis and Rose miss the game. Sure, Brandon Jennings has stepped up in the last few games, but don’t look for him or Courtney Lee to be much more than serviceable.
We’ve already seen the Cavs beat up on New York twice this season at both venues. Look for it to happen a third time on Saturday.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers 112, Knicks 98
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