Nothing will come easy for Karl-Anthony Towns on Friday night.
The Knicks head to Cleveland to take on the No. 1 seed Cavaliers in the second game of their post-All-Star break run.
The Cavaliers (45-10) enter Friday leading the Thunder by one half-game for the NBA‘s best record on the back of perhaps the best big-man pairing in the league — Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Mobley is one of the best all-around defenders in the NBA while Allen is no slouch himself, receiving Defensive Player of the Year votes in three different seasons throughout his career.
The duo had their way with Towns when these teams matched up early in the season.
Knicks vs. Cavaliers odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knicks | +8.5 (-110) | +275 | o241.5 (-110) |
| Cavaliers | -8.5 (-110) | -350 | u241.5 (-110) |
Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction
In the Knicks’ one game against the Cavs this season, Oct. 28 at the Garden, Towns had one of his worst outings of the season, scoring just 13 points.
KAT could barely even get a shot off, putting up a season-low eight attempts.
With Allen on him, Towns scored just two points in 5¹/₂ minutes while turning the ball over three times. He didn’t fare much better against Mobley, making one shot in a little more than four minutes.
If the Knicks want to score on this Cleveland team, it’s going to come on the perimeter, where Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell provide much less resistance than Mobley and Allen.
Betting on the NBA?
The Cavaliers also acquired 6-foot-8 forward De’Andre Hunter at the trade deadline, providing a bit more size to deal with athletic big men such as Towns.
Fade Towns in this tough matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s team.
THE PLAY: Karl-Anthony Towns Under 24.5 points (-120, BetMGM).
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Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
