The NBA playoffs roll on Monday, as the Eastern Conference Finals continue. The New York Knicks hold a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into Game 4 at Rocket Arena. The Knicks can punch their ticket to the NBA Finals with a win. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN. Here are our best NBA picks & predictions for Monday, May 25th.
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Monday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
New York Knicks (-138) at Cleveland Cavaliers (+118) | O/U 217.5 (-110/-110)
The Knicks have not let up since rallying for a gigantic comeback win in Game 1. After erasing a 22-point deficit with under eight minutes to go in regulation, New York has been rejuvenated, rattling off double-digit victories in every game of this series.
In Game 3, as the series shifted to Rocket Arena, the Knicks took a 37-27 lead into the first quarter and held a 60-54 advantage at halftime. New York kept Cleveland at arm’s length all night long on Saturday, leading wire-to-wire to push the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination.
The Knicks shot 56% (43-of-77) from the field, while the Cavaliers shot 50% (42-of-84). The Knicks also shot 39% (11-of-28) from three-point range, while the Cavaliers struggled, shooting just 29% (12-of-41) from long distance. On free throws, New York was very sharp, shooting 89% (24-of-27), while Cleveland was a dismal 63% (12-of-19) from the charity stripe, leaving valuable points on the floor.
New York was +3 in the rebounding department, +4 in steals and +3 in blocks. Cleveland turned it over 18 times, compared to just 15 for New York. The Knicks led by as many as 17 points and earned a 121-108 victory, cashing as a 3.5-point underdog, while the over (215.5) hit.
It was a balanced attack for the Knicks, too, as all five starters scored at least 12 points, with Jalen Brunson once again leading the way with 30 points, six assists, three rebounds and a steal. If there were any complaints, it was Brunson’s 0-for-4 night from behind the three-point line.
Mikal Bridges continued his great series, going for 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting, while adding six boards, three steals, two assists and two blocks. Bridges is hitting 63.6% or better in each game of the series, averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and two steals in this series, while shooting 71.7% (23-of-38) in the first three games.
Since going 0-for-3 from the field in Game 3 in Atlanta in the first round, Bridges has shot 50% or better in each of his past 10 playoff games. That coincides with the team’s 10-game playoff win streak.
In addition to the Knicks winning 10 in a row in these playoffs, they’re an impressive 9-1 against the spread (ATS), while the over is 3-1 in the past four games and 6-3 across the previous nine outings. New York has won and covered five in a row on the road, too.
While head coach Kenny Atkinson believes the Cavaliers have won two of the first three games, the analytics say otherwise. Cleveland is facing a sweep. It has lost two straight playoff games at home and is 0-2 ATS in those games. Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its past five playoff games, while the over is 3-1 in the past four contests.
The Cavaliers have to get one in the series, right? Let’s take Cleveland on the Moneyline, extending its season at least one more game, with a trip to Madison Square Garden for Game 5. And, we’ll keep hitting the over.
Picks: Cavaliers Moneyline (+118) & Over 217.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe