The Knicks won just seven times on the road all last season. They are a perfect 2-0 there to start this year and will test the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers on Wednesday. It appears as if Carmelo Anthony has recovered from his knee surgery and the Knickerbockers look to continue their early season in a game against the Cavs, who are still without starting point guard Kyrie Irving.
SCHEDULING
After playing three of their first four games on the road, the Cavaliers start a four-game home stand with their matchup against the Knicks. A lighter stretch in the schedule early on might be the perfect medicine for Cleveland. After surviving a physical and emotional opening week, the Cavs will continue to work around their injury issues over the next five games against non-playoff teams from last season. The stretch ends with a rematch against the Knicks at the Garden. Cleveland opened the season with three games in four days – physical contests against Chicago and Memphis and an emotional one with Miami.
It’s a weird opening stretch for the Knickerbockers, who are alternating road and home games through the first six. The contest in Cleveland is the fifth game of that opening string with a pair at the Garden to follow. New York won just seven times away from the Garden last year but has won the first two on the road this year. The Knicks head to Cleveland following a home game Monday with San Antonio.
INJURIES
The Knicks are waiting for guard Arron Afflalo and forward Lou Amundson to make their season debuts. Amundson is nearing a return from a sore lower back and is questionable while Afflalo, signed in the offseason, continues to rehab a hamstring injury and is eyeing a mid-November return.
Irving remains out for the Cavs, recovering from offseason knee surgery. There is no timetable for his return. LeBron James is three weeks removed from a second anti-inflammatory injection to treat an ongoing back issue, but he continues to play and said he intends to play 82 games this season.
KEY MATCHUP
Just over eight months ago, Anthony underwent surgery on his left knee. He appears to be back, and that’s good news for the Knicks. Anthony went for 37 in his third game since the operation, eclipsing by one his point total from his first two games, and was an efficient 11 of 18 from the field. New York will rely on Melo for offense since there aren’t a lot of options. That means he will get his shots, along with plenty of others. Melo has always been a streaky shooter but raises his game in critical situations. This is one of those games. LeBron said he wants Kevin Love to get as involved as possible in the Cavs’ offense and Love has responded. Love is showing no issues with his surgically-repaired left shoulder and is off to a fast start. With Irving out and LeBron not punishing his body in the early stages of the season, Love is “our main focal point,” according to LeBron. Melo and Love will be lighting it up for their respective teams and a wager on their point totals might be worth making.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Knicks have been a nice surprise early in the season. Melo has returned from his knee surgery, top draft pick Kristaps Porzingis looks like he’ll be a solid player and the reserve backcourt of Langston Galloway and Jerrian Grant might be better than the starters. New York isn’t about to contend with the Cavs for supremacy in the East, but they should at least be in the running for a playoff spot in the weak conference. The Cavs are still the class of the East and have a chip on their shoulders after last season. A deep bench, even without injured Irving and Iman Shumpert, makes them tough to play. LeBron and Love will get their minutes and supply plenty of offense, but the depth makes them dangerous. Once the Cavs got the bench straightened out last season, we saw what happened. Cleveland rules the East and will knock off the upstart Knickerbockers.
Cleveland 101, New York 90
The NBA odds for this game will first open at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next half. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers will start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at Quicken Loans Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
