The NBA playoffs roll on Saturday, as Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The game can be viewed or streamed on ABC. Here are our best NBA picks & predictions for Saturday, May 23rd.
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Saturday’s Best NBA Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
New York Knicks (+110) at Cleveland Cavaliers (-130) | O/U 213.5 (-110/-110)
The Knicks and Cavaliers meet at Rocket Arena in Cleveland at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC. New York protected its home court in the first two games, covering each of those outings at Madison Square Garden.
Cleveland faces a must-win situation, as it obviously cannot afford to go into a 0-3 series hole against New York.
It didn’t have to be this way for the Cavaliers, as they had a 22-point lead in Game 1 with just under eight minutes to go in regulation before one of the worst-ever collapses in NBA postseason history. The Cavaliers hung on to force overtime, but were already defeated by that point, outscored 14-3 in the extra session.
It was an inexcusable collapse, and one which Cleveland wasn’t able to shake off easily. In Game 2, the Cavaliers took a 27-24 lead after the first quarter and hung in there in the first half. New York led just 53-49 at the break. B
ut, the third quarter belonged to the Knicks, outscoring the Cavaliers by 11, and pulling away for a 109-93 win and 2-0 series advantage. They easily covered the 5.5-point spread, as the under (215.5) cashed.
Sam Merrill, the unheralded star from Game 7 of the Detroit series, was a dismal 1-of-8 from the field, including 0-for-7 from distance, and he even misfired on two of his four free-throw attempts.
James Harden turned it over six more times, while Max Strus was just 1-of-7 shooting, ending with five points before fouling out. As per usual, Donovan Mitchell showed out, going for 26 points, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
For the Knicks, all five starters scored 14+ points, while each made at least one one-pointer. Karl-Anthony Towns managed 18 points and 13 rebounds, all of the defensive variety, while Jalen Brunson went for 19 points with 14 assists and just three turnovers. Josh Hart added 26 points while knocking down five triples.
New York has won nine consecutive playoff games, while going 8-1 against the spread (ATS), including four consecutive covers. The under hit in Game 2, and the total has gone low in three of the past five games.
On the road in these playoffs, the Knicks are 4-1 straight up (SU) with four straight wins, while going 4-1 ATS, including four straight covers. The over has a slight 3-2 advantage.
Cleveland lost its most recent home game, a 115-94 thumping from the Pistons in Game 6 of the second round, and it is just 1-3 SU/ATS in the past four games. At home, though, the Cavaliers are still a healthy 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in this postseason, with the over going 5-2.
We’re going to take the Cavaliers in Game 3, as it is now or never, and let’s go high on the total.
Picks: Cavaliers -2.5 (-106) & Over 213.5 Points (-110)
Joe Williams is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Joe, check out his archive and follow him @winwithjoe