Cavs vs Knicks Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 Odds, Preview & Picks

After a thrilling Game 1 in the West, the Eastern Conference Finals tip off Tuesday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the New York Knicks for Game 1.

Find the latest odds, full-game preview, and picks for the series opener below.

Cavs vs Knicks Game 1 Odds

Odds via Lucky Rebel

Moneyline: Knicks (-240) | Cavs (+200)

Spread: Knicks -6.5 (-112) | Cavs +6.5 (-108)

Total: 217.5 Over (-112) | Under (-108)

Cavs vs Knicks Game 1 Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers survived a grueling seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons to set up this Eastern Conference Finals showdown with the New York Knicks.

Rest vs. rust will be the biggest storyline early on. The Knicks have been idle for over two weeks after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening round. The Cavs, on the other hand, have just one day of rest after grinding it out until Sunday.

We saw rhythm trump rest on Monday when the Spurs took down the Thunder in double overtime, but Cleveland's erratic play makes this a different animal.

Throughout the playoffs, the Knicks rank first in offensive rating and second defensively. The Cavs sit at sixth and eighth in those respective categories.

Both squads have plenty of postseason experience and the high-end talent to keep games tight, which should make for a highly competitive series. That said, I expect New York to pull away late tonight and defend home court.

Even though Cleveland won its last two road games, it's still tough to fully trust them away from home. While a 6.5-point spread feels a bit heavy, the rest-versus-rust dynamic makes me hesitant to lay anything pregame. Instead, I'll be hunting for a live-betting angle, hoping to grab a better number on the Knicks in-game.

Cavs vs Knicks Picks

Where I will have some involvement prior to tipoff is in the prop department, and there I've got three wagers I'll be sweating out for Game 1.

Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 Assists (-146)

I'll be laying some chalk on Donovan Mitchell's assists prop this evening and backing him to dish out at least four dimes.

Throughout the postseason, Mitchell has been a bit underwhelming in this department, averaging just 3.3 assists per game, which is down from the 4.4 APG he averaged during the regular season.

The good news is he's still averaging 7.4 potential assists per game during this playoff run, and in three regular-season meetings against the Knicks, Mitchell cleared this mark in every matchup while averaging five assists per game.

New York's defensive focus has been, and should continue to be, limiting Mitchell as much as possible, which will force him to move the ball and rely on his teammates offensively. That should create more assist opportunities and give us a strong chance at cashing this prop tonight.

Karl-Anthony Towns Under 34.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-110)

On the Knicks' roster, one player who has struggled in this matchup is big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

In three games against Cleveland this season, Towns averaged just 14.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He stayed well under this line of 34.5 combined points, rebounds and assists in all three matchups, and I'm expecting a similar result on Tuesday night.

Towns can be volatile in general, but that inconsistency tends to show up even more when he's matched up against the frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

I don't expect much to change in Game 1.

Josh Hart Under 8.5 Rebounds (-125)

Our third and final wager is a sell-high spot on Josh Hart's rebounding production. He's more than capable of clearing this number, as we've seen in six of his 10 postseason games so far, but this is a much tougher matchup for the Knicks guard.

The aforementioned duo of Allen and Mobley already makes life difficult on the glass, and when you factor in Cleveland's overall size and rebounding production across the roster, it becomes even more challenging.

Hart collected just four and five boards, respectively, in the two games he played against Cleveland this season. Overall, he averaged seven rebounds per game during the regular season.

He's been snagging boards at a higher rate than usual lately, but against one of the league's stronger rebounding teams, I'm expecting Hart to come back down to Earth in this department.

Cavs vs Knicks Picks:

• Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 Assists (-146)
• Karl-Anthony Towns Under 34.5 Points, Rebounds & Assists (-110)
• Josh Hart Under 8.5 Rebounds (-125)

NBA Record: 219-78-1 (+19.48 units)

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