Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction on Spread for Game 3 – 5/23/26

The New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers playoff game is set to tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 23, with the Cavaliers entering as 2.5-point favorites on the spread, via PrizePicks.

The Knicks have continued to roll, winning the first two games of the best-of-seven series vs. the Cavaliers. New York has set a new franchise record with nine consecutive playoff wins. It’s as close to a must-win as it gets for the Cavaliers, as no team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series. 

Below, we’ll break down our Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction on the spread for Saturday’s NBA game on PrizePicks.

Make your Knicks vs. Cavaliers picks on PrizePicks now for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Game 3 – Saturday, May 23

Since trailing 2-1 in the first round vs. the Hawks, the Knicks have won a franchise-record nine straight postseason games. Nine of the 10 playoff wins have come by double digits. Across NBA history, 33 teams have won at least nine playoff games by 10+ points in a single postseason, with 31 of them making the NBA Finals and 27 winning it all.

Knicks G Jalen Brunson is averaging 27.6 points per game in the postseason, which is the third-highest mark behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cade Cunningham. In the first two games vs. the Cavs, Brunson has 57 points and 20 assists, shooting 48.9% from the field. Brunson has 17+ points in all 12 postseason games. 

The Cavaliers have been a different team at home at the Rocket Arena this postseason. Not only are they 6-1, but they are shooting 49.4% (second-best), with a 117.6 offensive rating (third-best) and a 58.0% eFG% (second-best). 

With 7:52 left in Game 1, the Cavs led the Knicks by 22 points. They were shooting 42.7% from the field and 78.9% from the line. Since that moment, the Cavs have shot 36.8% from the field and 63.9% from the line, being outscored by 49 points during the span.

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, May 23

The Cavaliers enter Saturday’s game as 2.5-point favorites against the Knicks, returning a 1.69x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.

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

• Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 (1.81x)
• Over/Under: 216.5 (1.96x payout on Over)
• Game Winner Payout: Knicks 2.08x | Cavaliers 1.69x

Make your Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction on the 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.

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Timeline

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

All-Time: Knicks, 137-112

Regular Season: Knicks, 2-1

Series: Knicks, 2-0

Knicks vs. Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals Timeline, Schedule

• Game 1: Knicks, 115-104, OT
• Game 2: Knicks, 109-93
• Game 3: Saturday, May 23, 8:00 p.m. in Cleveland
• Game 4: Monday, May 25, 8:00 p.m. in Cleveland
• Game 5-7 if necessary

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Knicks vs. Cavaliers Prediction on Spread for Game 3 – 5/23/26

Here are the key stats and trends behind our Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction on the spread for Saturday, May 23.

Lock in your Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction on PrizePicks before tip-off.

• The Knicks are the 13th team in NBA history to win at least nine straight games in a single postseason. Seven of the 13 ended up winning the title, with 12 of the 13 advancing to the NBA Finals. 
• New York is 53-42 ATS this season (55.8%), sixth-best among all NBA teams.
• It covered in four of six games against the Hawks in the first round, three of four vs. the 76ers, and both games vs. the Cavs. 
• As an underdog, the Knicks are 11-8 against the number this season, including winning outright in Philadelphia in Game 3. Excluding tonight, this was their only playoff game in the underdog role thus far.
• New York finished the season 10th in scoring (116.5 PPG), fourth in offensive rating (118.7), and ninth in eFG% (55.7%). Through 12 postseason games, the Knicks lead all teams in eFG% (59.0%) and FG% (51.4%), while sitting second in offensive rating (122.8) and points per game (119.0).
• Cleveland is 40-58 (40.8%) against the spread, the second-worst cover percentage in the NBA. The Cavs have only covered in seven of the 16 postseason games, but five of those covers have been at home. 
• The Cavs are 8-8 in the postseason overall but have defended home court, going 6-1 at Rocket Arena. 
• Cleveland had one of the best offenses this season, finishing the regular season fourth in scoring (119.5) and sixth in offensive rating (118.3). In the playoffs, they are fifth in scoring (108.9) and fifth in eFG% (53.3%).

Make Knicks vs. Cavaliers Picks on PrizePicks

Will the Cavaliers get back in the series with a must-win game at home? Or will the Knicks continue to dominate and win their 10th straight postseason game?

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

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