Basketball betting has the Cleveland Cavaliers as big favorites on Saturday as they host the New York Knicks.The Cavaliers are playing better than any team in the league right now and they are going to be a popular NBA betting choice in this game against New York.
Basketball betting favors the Cavaliers for a number of reasons and even the scheduling helps Cleveland in this game. The Knicks had to play at home last night vs. Milwaukee so they could be weary. The Cavaliers beat the Knicks 100-91 earlier this season in New York as LeBron James had 33 points. David Lee scored 21 points to lead the Knicks.
Cleveland has won eight of the last ten against New York although they are just 5-5 against the NBA betting odds. The Cavaliers are 2-2 vs. the basketball betting line in the last four home games against New York. Three of the last four overall between the teams have gone under the total but before that mini-streak, the previous five went over.
New York is 9-13 vs. the basketball betting odds on the road this season. The Knicks simply don’t play good enough defense to win on the road. New York is 23rd in the league on defense and their offense is not high-powered enough to outscore opponents in basketball betting as they rank 14th in the league. David Lee is the one main scoring threat as he averages almost 20 points per game. The Knicks have been going under the NBA betting total a lot in road games this season. 14 of their 22 road games have gone under the NBA betting total.
Cleveland has turned things around at home vs. the basketball betting odds. The Cavaliers started really slowly at home but they have been really playing well and covering numbers lately. They are simply dominating teams recently everywhere. The Cavaliers have picked up their defense which is now up to #2 in the league and the offense is more balanced with players like Shaquille O’Neal and Daniel Gibson giving help to LeBron James. The Cavaliers are now 11th in the league on offense and on their way into the top 10 as basketball betting stats indicate. Anytime a team has a great defense and an offense that is in the Top 10 they are going to be tough and that is now the case with the Cavaliers in basketball betting.