Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks - April 11, 2025

Madison Square Garden will be buzzing this Friday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers roll into town to take on the New York Knicks. The atmosphere will undoubtedly be electric, with fans eager to see their team bounce back from a recent loss. However, I anticipate that tonight’s game will favor the Cavaliers, who have demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the season.

The Knicks recently suffered a setback against the Pistons, losing 115-106. It’s evident they’ve been struggling to find their rhythm lately; however, they do possess some strengths on offense with an average of 116.1 points per game on nearly 49% shooting from the field. They also excel at distributing the ball with an average of around 27 assists per game. Yet their defense has been slightly concerning, especially considering they’ve allowed opponents to grab over 42 rebounds and commit more than 17 fouls per game.

On the other hand, we have the Cavaliers—who are sporting an impressive record of 63-17—and have proven themselves time and again this season. Scoring approximately 122.3 points per game at a high efficiency of nearly 49% shooting makes them a formidable opponent offensively. Their ability to create scoring opportunities is evidenced by their slightly higher assist average compared to New York at about 28 assists per game.

Defensively, Cleveland shows even greater promise; they lead in total rebounds with over 45 grabbed each night and maintain a respectable turnover rate similar to that of New York’s defensive efforts. The balance between offensive firepower and defensive prowess is crucial for any successful playoff run—a lesson I learned firsthand when coaching teams through critical playoff series.

Given recent trends in both teams’ performances—Cleveland coming off a close loss where they still managed to cover as underdogs against Indiana—I expect them not only to win but also cover what oddsmakers set at -8.5 points for New York. Additionally, while both teams have shown tendencies towards lower scoring games recently (the total has gone UNDER in several matchups), I believe that given Cleveland’s offensive capability combined with urgency from New York seeking redemption could push this matchup OVER the total of 228.5 points.

In essence, while home-court advantage may give New York some comfort levels going into this contest, Cleveland’s superior statistics across both offense and defense should shine through during playtime. My prediction is for Cleveland not just to emerge victorious but also perform strongly enough against that spread while potentially surpassing expectations on total points scored—a true test as always comes down when two competitive teams meet on such a storied floor like Madison Square Garden.