Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction on Spread for Game 2 – 5/21/26

Game 2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. the New York Knicks tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 21, televised by ESPN. The Knicks enter today’s game as 5.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Cleveland was dominating Game 1, leading by 22 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavs collapsed on the road, as the Knicks pulled off the largest comeback playoff win in franchise history, winning 115-104 in overtime. Will New York continue to ride the momentum into Game 2?

Below, we'll break down our Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction on the spread for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals for PrizePicks.

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Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Game 2 – Thursday, May 21

The Cavs seemed to be on their way to a fifth cover against the spread over a six-game span. Cleveland led 93-71 with 7:52 remaining in Game 1. Then came the collapse.

New York rallied and outscored the Cavaliers 30-8 over the final 7:52. The Knicks went on to dominate overtime, 14-3. Somehow, Cleveland still found a way to lose and failed to cover the 5.5-point spread as underdogs.

During the postseason, the Cavs are now 2-6 outright and ATS in road games. Meanwhile, New York is 5-1 outright and 4-2 ATS in home playoff games. 

Following Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks continue to top the playoffs with an 18.9 net rating, while Cleveland’s 0.2 net rating is last among active teams, per NBA Advanced Stats.

According to PrizePicks Team Picks, New York remains an overwhelming favorite to advance to the NBA Finals, carrying a 1.23x payout to win the series compared to the Cavs’ 4x payout.

Call your shot for 2026 NBA Playoff predictions on PrizePicks Team Picks.

Cleveland was on track to pull off an upset and cover in Game 1. Will the Cavaliers respond by finishing the job on Thursday night, or will the Knicks continue to ride their hot streak and take a 2-0 series lead?

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Spread, Over/Under for Game 2 – Thursday, May 21

The Knicks enter Game 2 as 5.5-point favorites at home against the Cavaliers, returning a 1.4x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

Here are the full payouts for the Cavaliers vs. Knicks game on PrizePicks.

• Spread: New York Knicks -5.5 (1.78x payout)
• Over/Under: 217.5 (2x payout on Over)
• Game Winner Payout: Cavaliers 2.77x | Knicks 1.4x

Play the Cavaliers vs. Knicks spread or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks Timeline

Here is the full Cavaliers vs. Knicks timeline, including the playoff series game-by-game and recent matchup history.

All-Time: Knicks, 136-112

Regular Season: Knicks, 2-1

Series: Knicks, 1-0

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Finals Timeline, Schedule

• Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104
• Game 2: Thursday, May 21, 8:00 p.m. ET in New York
• Game 3: Saturday, May 23, 8:00 p.m. ET in Cleveland
• Game 4: Monday, May 25, 8:00 p.m. ET in Cleveland
• Games 5-7 if necessary

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction on Spread for Game 2 – 5/21/26

Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction on the spread on Thursday, May 21.

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• Turnovers continue to bite the Cavaliers, as they totaled 21 turnovers in Game 1 and average 16.9 turnovers per game in the playoffs (second-most among 16 playoff teams).
• New York totaled only 13.6 turnovers per game in the regular season (sixth-fewest) and has posted 13.8 in the playoffs. However, it tallied 19 turnovers in Game 1.
• Cleveland forced 15.1 turnovers per contest in the regular season (ninth) and has continued that production with 15.8 in the postseason (second-most among active teams).
• In Game 1, the Cavs made 16 of 50 3-pointers (32.0%) compared to the Knicks’ converting 10 of 32 looks from deep (31.3%).
• New York controlled the interior with 60 paint points while allowing only 38 paint points. 
• The Knicks lead the playoffs with 54.2 points in the paint per game while yielding only 42.2 per contest (third-fewest). 
• Meanwhile, Cleveland has ceded 49.5 paint points per game in the playoffs (12th).
• The Cavaliers may be reliant on 3-pointers in this series, and they’ve shot only 33.9% from beyond the arc in the postseason (eighth) — which is a far cry from 35.7% in the regular season (17th).
• Furthermore, New York out-rebounded Cleveland by +9 in Game 1. It has a 54.7% rebounding percentage in the playoffs (first), compared to the Cavs’ 50.2% mark (sixth).

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As the most efficient team of the NBA Playoffs, the Knicks could be back in form following Game 1’s comeback win. New York carries potential advantages against the Cavaliers, mainly around the rim. 

Don’t wait until lock — make your Cavaliers vs. Knicks picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

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