Basketball betting on Friday favors the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road as they face the New York Knicks. The Cavs always get a lot of NBA betting respect and that is definitely the case on Friday since this game is on ESPN. Here is a look at this ESPN matchup between Cavaliers and Knicks on Friday night.
Basketball betting has the Cavaliers in a tough scheduling spot. Cleveland played last night at home versus Chicago so they could be a little weary in this back-to-back NBA betting situation. The Knicks are in the first half of a back-to-back which is much easier. New York plays at Milwaukee on Saturday. The basketball betting situation may favor the Knicks but the talent is definitely on Cleveland’s side in this game.
Cleveland has won 7 of the last 10 meetings against New York but they are just 4-6 against the NBA betting pointspread in those games. Cleveland has won three of the last five straight up at New York but they are 2-3 against the basketball betting odds. 7 of the last 10 games between the two teams have gone over the basketball betting total.
Cleveland started the season just 1-3 against the NBA betting pointspread but they are capable of running off a big string of wins as they proved a year ago. The basketball betting question for Cleveland is their offense. Other than LeBron James they are not getting consistent scoring. That was the problem a year ago but the addition of Shaquille O’Neal was supposed to help. So far it has not but that could change as time goes on. Cleveland Cavaliers is still playing tough defense as they rank in the Top 10 in the league in fewest points allowed.
New York has picked up where they left off last season and that is not necessarily good basketball betting news. The Knicks have an offense that is in the Top 10 in the league as basketball betting stats show but their defense is terrible. That was the case last year and New York struggled versus the basketball betting lines. So far this season the same things are happening. New York is going over the basketball betting total on a regular basis but they have not been that successful against the basketball betting pointspread. That does not bode well against a talented Cleveland team.