Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction, Spread, Game 2 Picks – 5/21/26

Game 2 of the Cavaliers vs. Knicks Eastern Conference Finals series tips off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 21. New York enters as 6.5-point favorites on the PrizePicks Team Picks spread for the matchup on ESPN.

Cleveland was in control for a good chunk of Game 1, but New York came storming back and secured a thrilling victory in front of the home crowd. What could be in store in a suddenly pivotal Game 2 at Madison Square Garden?

Below, we'll break down our Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction and picks for Thursday night’s NBA Playoff Game 2, including the spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

Make your Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction on PrizePicks for tonight’s Game 2. 

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

Both teams have taken different paths to get where they are right now. The Cavaliers, for instance, needed seven games apiece to get past the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors and No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons in the first and second rounds of the NBA Playoffs. It’s been a grueling slate.

The Knicks, meanwhile, woke up in round one against the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks to win the set 4-2. In the conference semifinals, they then swept the overwhelmed No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers and looked downright dominant. 

That’s set up a thrilling three-four matchup in the Eastern Conference Finals, with New York getting the upper hand. Head coach Mike Brown’s crew went on a staggering 44-11 run to cap off a 22-point comeback in the fourth quarter and overtime. 

Could Cleveland be too far gone after such a crippling loss? Only Thursday will reveal the answer. 

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

The Knicks enter Thursday’s game as 6.5-point favorites against the Cavaliers at home, 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 -6.5 (1.92x payout)
• Over/Under: 217.5 (2x payout on Over)
• Game Winner Payout: Cavaliers 2.77x | Knicks 1.4x

Make your Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction on spread on PrizePicks Team Picks — 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 Timeline, Schedule for 2026 NBA Playoffs

• Game 1: Knicks, 115-104
• 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 stats and trends behind our Cavaliers vs. Knicks prediction on spread for Thursday, May 21.

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• The Knicks are one of basketball’s better teams when it comes to protecting home court, sitting 27-15 against the spread at the Garden. As road underdogs, the Cavs are 10-8 ATS.
• Cleveland’s offense has star power, yet it ranks 21st in average attempted field goals (88.8) and is 17th from the 3-point line with a 35.7% conversion rate.
• That could be a direct issue against New York, who’s fourth in fewest made shots each night (39.0) and 14th in defensive 3-point clip (35.6%). 
• Brown’s offense is one of the more efficient groups in the sport, sitting seventh in points per shot (1.176) and fifth in effective field goal percentage (56.1%). 
• Back to the 3-point shot. The Cavs are the NBA’s fifth-worst team when it comes to stopping it (37.2%), meanwhile the Knicks can 37.5% of their tries (fourth). It’s something that could truly swing Thursday’s game; in Game 1, New York shot just 31% on 32 attempts. 

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks: 5/21/26

Here are three top Cavaliers vs. Knicks picks to target for Thursday, May 21 on PrizePicks. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks include SG Donovan Mitchell, PG James Harden, and PG Jalen Brunson.

Cavaliers SG Donovan Mitchell vs. Knicks: 27.5 Points

• Mitchell dropped 29 points in Game 1, making 4 3-pointers and also recording 6 steals on defense. He’s averaging 25.9 PPG during this postseason run.
• There aren’t many better NBA Playoff track records than Mitchell’s. He’s a volume scorer when it matters most, netting 22.1 shot attempts each postseason game and pouring in 27.8 PPG.
• Spida has been automatic from midrange during the playoffs, making half of his tries from 10-16 feet and 46.2% of them from 16 feet to the 3-point line.
• Per databallr, Mitchell spends 27.8% of his time on-ball this playoffs, putting him in the 95th percentile. 

Add Donovan Mitchell to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

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Cavaliers PG James Harden vs. Knicks: 24.5 Pts + Asts

• Harden struggled in Game 1, notching 15 points on 16 shots and accumulating just 3 assists to 6 turnovers.
• Back to the latter stat, The Beard has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.1 to 4.9 in this postseason.
• In addition to making just 40.8% of his shots in the NBA Playoffs, Harden’s 31.8% 3-point clip would be his worst since the 2017-18 campaign with the Houston Rockets.
• According to FantasyPros, the Knicks surrender the second-fewest nightly fantasy points (44.27) to the PG position. 

Add James Harden to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

Knicks PG Jalen Brunson vs. Cavaliers Projection: 34.5 Pts + Asts

• Brunson came alive late in Game 1, routinely searching for Harden on defense and racking up 38 total points on 15-of-29 shooting. He also had 6 assists in the process.
• No player averages more made field goals this NBA Playoffs than Brunson at 10.3. His 48.9% field goal conversion rate is also a postseason career high.
• The veteran floor general is spending a video game-like 48.6% of his time on-ball this postseason, and his teammates are producing 86th-percentile shot quality on his assist chances.
• Don’t let Brunson get solo coverage. Per NBA RAPM, his 1.20 points per possession in playoff isolations this year sits in the 91st percentile. 

Add Jalen Brunson to your PrizePicks Lineup now.

NBA Playoffs Live Picks: Cavaliers vs. Knicks on PrizePicks for Game 2

Here are some angles to target for your Cavaliers vs. Knicks live picks.

Every live NBA Lineup on PrizePicks during the NBA Playoffs enters you to win a trip to the NBA Finals — paid by PrizePicks. Make your live NBA Playoffs picks on PrizePicks.

• The battle of the second half could once again decide a game between these two teams. The Cavaliers own basketball’s second-best offense in both the third (31.0 PPG) and fourth (29.3) quarters, whereas the Knicks are seventh (27.9 PPG) and first (25.1 PPG) in the two frames. 
• These squads have been polar opposites when it comes to taking care of the ball. Per NBA Advanced Stats, New York is fourth in playoff assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.86. Cleveland is dead last at 1.31.
• Neither team plays a lightning-fast tempo in the final frame. The Knicks are seventh in fourth-quarter playoff pace, with the Cavs being 14th.   
• Brunson is known to turn it up in front of the home crowd, scoring 2.1 more PPG on 3.7% better true shooting this year. 
• Cavaliers C Jarrett Allen, believe it or not, is better away from home. In road contests this season, he’s averaged 2.5 more PPG while making 3.5% more of his shots. 

Make Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 2 Picks on PrizePicks

Tuesday night’s Game 1 saw one of the greatest in-game playoff comebacks in recent memory. Did the Knicks seize the series with that feat, or can the Cavaliers recover on the road in Game 2?

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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