Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 5 Prediction & Picks: Can New York Close Out the Series?

The 2022-23 NBA Playoffs continue on Wednesday, April 26 with a four-game schedule. One of the day’s matchups sees the New York Knicks going head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of their series. The Knicks vs Cavaliers series is currently 3-1 in New York’s favor, making it interesting to see if Cleveland has what it takes to survive for at least one more night.

GAME 5️⃣

? @MSGNetworks
? @ESPNNY98_7FM pic.twitter.com/CmGdIcXTd0

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 26, 2023

Despite being the lower seed, it’s the Knicks who are in control of this series. They took a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers with an impressive 102-93 victory on Sunday night. Jalen Brunson dropped a game-high 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from the three-point line as RJ Barrett also helped, dropping 26 points of his own.

Is it time for the Knicks to advance past the opening round for the first time since the 2012-13 postseason? Or will the Cavaliers put their disappointing performances in the rearview to take one step closer to evening the series?

Betting News is here with not only the latest Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 5 odds (via BetOnline Sportsbook) but also an expert prediction and the best bet for the game. That’s not even to mention everything else you need to know!

New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 5 Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (NY leads 3-1)
• Venue & Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (Cleveland, Ohio )
• Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Knicks vs Cavaliers TV Info: NBA TV

Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 5 Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Wednesday, April 26 at 10:15 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New York Knicks +5.5 (-110)
• Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 202.5 Points (-110)
• Under 202.5 Points (-110)

Moneyline

• New York Knicks +184
• Cleveland Cavaliers -220

New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Trends

• New York is 6-1 straight up in its last seven games against Cleveland.
• Cleveland is 6-14 straight up in its last 20 games played in April.
• New York is 8-2 against the spread (ATS) in its last 10 games against the Central Division.
• Cleveland is 3-6 ATS in its last nine home games against New York.
• The total has hit the under in four of New York’s last six home games.
• The total has hit the under in six of Cleveland’s last seven games against New York.

Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 5 Preview

The Cavaliers’ offense continues to be nowhere to be found as we reach the first elimination game of the series.

The Cavaliers look like they took a time machine back to the 1990s NBA, averaging just 94.0 points per game thus far. They’ve been held to 97 or fewer points in each of their three losses to the Knicks, which includes mustering a measly 79-point effort in Game 3.

One reason that the Cavs can’t score is because they’ve struggled on the perimeter. After averaging 11.6 three-pointers (No. 19) on a 36.7% success rate (No. 12) in the regular season, Cleveland is only averaging 9.3 threes on 30.8% shooting this series.

Although the Knicks haven’t played well on the outside either (8.3 threes on 27.5% shooting), they haven’t needed to. They’ve found a ton of success in the paint (47.0 points per game), helped by the fact that they’ve outrebounded the Cavaliers 179-156 (or an average of 5.8 more rebounds per game).

The Cavaliers have also been held back by an undisciplined style of basketball. They’re making way too many mistakes to create real momentum, leading the series in both personal fouls (80-70) and turnovers (63-54).

With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley only averaging 10.8 PPG apiece, it’d be helpful if the Cavaliers’ bench woke up. Unfortunately, they’ve received little to no production from their non-starters. Entering Game 5, Cleveland doesn’t have a single bench player averaging more than 6.0 PPG this series.

For reference, New York has three averaging 6.5 points or more.

And even though the odds are in the Cavs’ favor, there are things working against them. For starters, the Cavaliers are 6-14 straight up in their last 20 games played in April. They’ve also lost three of their past five home games, so it isn’t like playing at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will see their play improve.

The Cavaliers have also struggled against the spread, going 1-4 ATS in their last five outings, as well as 1-6 ATS in their previous seven meetings with the Knicks.

On the flip side, the Knicks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 encounters with the Central Division. That’s not even to mention their impressive 27-15-1 ATS record on the road this season.

Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 5 Prediction and Picks

Knicks vs Cavaliers Prediction: Knicks 103, Cavaliers 98

Knicks vs Cavaliers Picks: Knicks +5.5 (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline) & Under 202.5 Points (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

The Cavaliers have been playing horribly and their lack of offense makes them too difficult to trust. The Knicks have been the better team this series and are riding a momentum wave after back-to-back victories. I expect New York to continue doing what’s been working and to shut down Cleveland again, resulting in its moving on to the next round.

Having said that, I’m going with the Knicks on the spread as one bet. They’ve been the superior squad, so seeing them as +5.5 underdogs is a bit disrespectful. Besides, they’re 6-3 ATS in their last nine trips to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

I also recommend taking the under on the 202.5-point total. After all, the under is 5-1 in New York’s last six games and 6-0 in Cleveland’s previous six. All but one of the last seven Knicks vs Cavaliers tilts have also finished with fewer than projected points, too. Considering how the two sides have failed to surpass 202.5 points each game this series, taking the under is the right call.

Other New York vs Cleveland Resources

• Knicks vs Cavaliers Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats