The New York Knicks get set to clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. They tip it off at 7:30 p.m. Both teams come in with early records of 1-2 on the season. 

BetOnline has the Cavaliers installed as a 3.5-point favorite. 

New York Knicks Betting Preview

The Knicks (1-2) dropped the season opener to the Boston Celtics but rebounded for their first win of the season against the Atlanta Hawks. However, they had another defense lapse against the New Orleans Pelicans in a 96-87 loss. They have a couple of nice players on the roster, but they have a ton of inconsistency when it comes to knocking down shots from the perimeter. 

Julius Randle is a solid player, but he needs to do it at both ends of the floor. R.J. Barrett provides a nice punch as he averages around 22.7 points per contest. He is a player that can attack the rim and take the ball to the basket. 

Veteran point guard Jalen Brunson has really come into his own, as he pumps in 20 points per game. He had a breakout season last year and the offense must run through him. The Knicks shoot around 40% from the floor while hitting just 36% from beyond the arc on the season. New York typically lives and dies by the three-point shot, but they could not knock down their shots against the Pelicans. They were a horrible 18.9% from beyond the arc and that is not going to get the job done. 

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The Cavaliers (1-2) had an outstanding season in 2022 and they are looking to build off of that success this season. They really played well last season and shocked a lot of people and betting pundits. They have some really nice young players and a solid core to build upon. 

They are led on offense by Donovan Mitchell, who really creates spacing on the floor with his presence. He is entering his second season with Cleveland after starting his career with Utah. He nets around 35 a game and he is off to a scorching start for the Cavaliers, who can score with the best of them. 

As a team, Cleveland shoots around 43% from the floor, including 34.5% from beyond the arc too. They like to get up and down the floor and run. They also have a great young player in Darius Garland, who is battling with an injury to his hamstring. Last season he really came on as he averaged 21 points per game. 

Game Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick

The Cavaliers are 3-7 for 30% in ML bets in their last 10 games against New York according to the website Scoresandodds.com. Cleveland is 1-2 in their last five games and 0-3 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 0-1 in their road games against the number. 

New York is 1-2 in their last five games and 1-1 in their last five games against the spread dating back to last season. They are 1-1 in their road games this season and the totals have gone over in one of their last three games.

Good spot for the Knicks to pick up a solid win. New York + 3.5