Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks Predictions – NBA Playoff Preview | May 19, 2026

The East Conference Finals gets underway on May 19, 2026 as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks in Game 1. Check the full game preview on Statz for live odds and projections.

Odds (Betrivers)

• Moneyline: NYK -295 (1.34) | CLE +225 (3.25)
• Spread: NYK -7.5 (1.93) | CLE +7.5 (1.87)
• Total: 217.5 – Over 1.92 / Under 1.88

New York are heavy home favorites. The Knicks opened at -295 on the moneyline, reflecting their dominant run through the Eastern bracket. Statz win probability splits it closer: NYK 53%, CLE 47%.

Recent Form

New York Knicks (last 5): W 144-114, W 108-94, W 108-102, W 137-98, W 140-89 – swept Philadelphia in Round 2 without a single loss. Four wins by double digits. This is a team playing at peak confidence on home floor.

Cleveland Cavaliers (last 5): W 125-94, L 94-115, W 117-113, W 112-103, W 116-109 – beat Detroit 4-1 in Round 2. The one loss was a blip; CLE won three straight to close the series.

Team Stats and Pace

NYK finished the regular season 55-31 (64.0%), averaging 116.3 PPG and allowing 110.0 OPP PPG. CLE went 54-31 (63.5%) with 118.9 PPG and 115.4 OPP PPG. Both defenses tighten in the postseason.

Pace: NYK pace rating 53.9, CLE at 92.7 – Cleveland has the pace advantage and will try to push the tempo in enemy territory.

Shooting splits: CLE holds the edge on FG% (46.3% vs 44.8%) and 3P% (36.9% vs 36.3%). NYK leads at the free-throw line (81.6% vs 76.8%), which matters late in close playoff games.

Key Projections

For New York, Jalen Brunson projects at 27.4 pts / 2.6 reb / 6.1 ast. OG Anunoby projects 18.6 pts / 6.9 reb / 1.4 ast, and Karl-Anthony Towns lines up for 17.4 pts / 10.0 reb / 6.6 ast. Mikal Bridges adds 13.0 pts and Josh Hart rounds out the starting five at 10.3 pts / 9.0 reb.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell leads projections at 26.2 pts / 5.3 reb / 3.1 ast. James Harden projects 19.4 pts / 6.0 reb / 6.1 ast alongside Darius Garland (19.1 pts / 6.0 ast) and Evan Mobley (17.3 pts / 8.2 reb).

Active Prop Streaks to Watch

• Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): Assists OVER 4.5 – 7-game streak (avg last 5: 8.0 ast)
• Evan Mobley (CLE): Blocks OVER 1.5 – 7-game streak (avg last 5: 2.8 blk)
• OG Anunoby (NYK): Points OVER 15.5 – 6-game streak (avg last 5: 22.0 pts)
• OG Anunoby (NYK): Points+Assists OVER 16.5 – 6-game streak (avg last 5: 23.4)
• Mikal Bridges (NYK): Points+Rebounds+Assists OVER 18.5 – 5-game streak (avg last 5: 26.0)
• Mikal Bridges (NYK): Points+Rebounds OVER 15.5 – 5-game streak (avg last 5: 22.6)
• Mikal Bridges (NYK): Points+Assists OVER 15.5 – 5-game streak (avg last 5: 22.2)
• Jalen Brunson (NYK): Blocks UNDER 0.5 – 14-game streak (avg last 5: 0)
• Dean Wade (CLE): Blocks UNDER 0.5 – 14-game streak (avg last 5: 0)

Milestones in Progress

• OG Anunoby (NYK): 3s Made 2+ – 8-game streak (avg: 2.6)
• Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): Assists 4+ – 8-game streak (avg: 7.5)
• Donovan Mitchell (CLE): Rebounds 4+ – 7-game streak (avg: 5.7)
• Evan Mobley (CLE): Blocks 2+ – 7-game streak (avg: 2.7)
• OG Anunoby (NYK): Blocks 1+ – 7-game streak (avg: 1.3)

Injuries

No injuries reported for either team heading into Game 1.

Prediction

New York’s home court, dominant sweep form, and Brunson’s playoff pedigree make them rightful favorites. But Cleveland’s pace advantage and sharper shooting percentages keep this competitive. Knicks win but CLE covers the 7.5 spread in a physical opener.

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