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Cleveland sports fans are getting severe deja vu with the Cavs down 0-2. But with the series shifting back to their home floor, it's time for Cleveland to dig deep ... again.

Ahead of tonight's Game 3 clash with the New York Knicks, our NBA player prop projections have locked onto the highest-value betting angles on the market.

By analyzing the data against current market lines, we’ve identified where the strongest edges exist.

These Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.

If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

Knicks vs Cavaliers computer picks for Game 3

Knicks	Cavaliers
Hart u12.5 points  -105	Harden o18.5 points -105
Towns o11.5 rebounds -112	Mitchell o3.5 assists -165
Bridges o12.5 points -105	Mobley o8.5 rebounds  -105

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Knicks Game 3 computer picks

Josh Hart Under 12.5 points (-105)

Projection: 10.70 points

Josh Hart made the Cleveland Cavaliers pay for sleeping on him in Game 2, dropping a massive 26 points while the Cavs focused on Jalen Brunson. Cleveland won't dare him to beat them again in Game 3. Expect a much more disciplined defensive effort from the Cavs tonight, making the Under on Hart's points prop the smart play.

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Karl-Anthony Towns Over 11.5 rebounds (-112)

Projection: 11.77 rebounds

Karl-Anthony Towns is in his bag right now. The New York Knicks' big man has cleared the way in the paint with back-to-back double-doubles, pulling down exactly 13 boards in both Games 1 and 2. Expect him to spearhead the rebounding effort for New York again tonight.

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Mikal Bridges Over 12.5 points (-105)

Projection: 13.62 points

While it may seem obvious, Mikal Bridges' points prop presents immense value tonight. With Cleveland’s defense heavily focused on trapping Jalen Brunson and adjusting to contain Josh Hart after his Game 2 outburst, Bridges is bound to see plenty of open looks.

Having already cleared this line in Games 1 and 2 with 18- and 19-point performances, he is in a prime position to stay hot tonight.

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Cavaliers Game 3 computer picks

James Harden Over 18.5 points (-105)

Projection: 20.05 points

The word of the day for James Harden is simple: more. The Cavaliers desperately need him to elevate his game in every facet.

While he put up 15 and 18 points in Games 1 and 2, it clearly hasn't been enough to match a red-hot Knicks squad. Harden has been far too quiet, and it's time for him to pump up the volume to prevent Cleveland from sliding into a familiar, inescapable postseason hole.

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Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists (-165)

Projection: 4.78 assists

New York's defensive game plan starts and ends with making life miserable for Donovan Mitchell. With the Knicks doing everything they can to bottle up his scoring, Mitchell will have to lean heavily into his playmaking to keep Cleveland afloat.

He hasn't cleared his assist prop yet in this series, but the Knicks' suffocating pressure is going to force the ball out of his hands and right into a cashable Over for his assist line.

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Evan Mobley Over 8.5 rebounds (-105)

Projection: 8.56

Don’t let a single bad outing scare you off Evan Mobley tonight. While the Knicks limited him to just six rebounds in Game 2, Mobley has otherwise been a cash machine on the boards this postseason.

Back on his home floor, expect the Cavs' big man to play with renewed aggression underneath, making the Over on his rebounding prop a fantastic bounce-back target.

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How to watch Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3

Location	Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date	Saturday, May 23, 2026
Tip-off	8:00 p.m. ET
TV	ABC

Not intended for use in MA.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers went down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons on the road in the conference semifinals before winning Games 3 and 4 at home and ultimately stealing the series in seven.

Cleveland will look to repeat that pattern in the Eastern Conference Finals, and my Knicks vs. Cavaliers props dig into the best value plays for this pivotal contest, giving you my best NBA picks for Saturday, May 23.

It's all part of our full Knicks vs. Cavaliers predictions for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so let's dive in.

Best Knicks vs Cavaliers props for Game 3

Player	Pick
Mikal Bridges	Over 13.5 points	-105
Donovan Mitchell	Over 2.5 threes	-155
Evan Mobley	Over 3.5 assists	+105

Game 3 Prop #1: Mikal Bridges Over 13.5 points

-105 at bet365

The Cleveland Cavaliers strategy to ignore Josh Hart backfired in Game 2, as Hart went off for 26 points. After that outburst, Hart will see more defensive attention, leading to less pressure on Bridges.

Over his last seven games, 31.9% of Mikal Bridges’ shot attempts have been “open,” with defenders 4-6 feet away, and 15.9% have been “wide open,” with defenders 6+ feet away.

Bridges is shooting a blistering 68.3% on 11.7 shots per game in that span, yet he could see even more open looks. I’m willing to bet this one up to 15.5.

Game 3 Prop #2: Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 threes

-155 at bet365

The New York Knicks interior defense has ceded just 40.2 paint points across the team’s nine-game win streak. As a result, opponents have focused on outside shots and attempted the fourth-most three-pointers (37.1).

Donovan Mitchell is just 11-of-38 from deep over his last five games, but nearly a third of those shots were “open” or “wide open.”

Shot quality has been favorable, and Mitchell has shot 36.8% from deep at home compared to 27.5% on the road this postseason. Mitchell can improve when he returns to Rocket Arena, and I’ll climb the ladder to 3.5 triples.

Game 3 Prop #3: Evan Mobley Over 3.5 assists

+105 at bet365

Among centers averaging at least 30 minutes in the playoffs, Evan Mobley ranks fifth in assist percentage (25.4) and seventh in usage (18.8).

Cleveland has struggled to move the ball, assisting on just 57.8% of made baskets, but Mobley has consistently gotten teammates involved with four dimes per tilt.

Cleveland is 6-3 when the big man dishes 4+, and Cleveland’s offense averaged 8.1 more points in those contests.

This is a favorable line that I’ll bet up to 4.5, as Cleveland should emphasize ball movement to get better looks against New York’s stiff defense.

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The New York Knicks can move to the brink of the NBA Finals with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks won the first two games in New York. Games 3 and 4 will be in Cleveland. The Cavaliers are favored at home by 2.5 points. The over/under is 214.5.

How to watch New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

• Date: Saturday, May 23

• Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT

• Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

• TV Channels: ABC

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5

• Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers -131 (54.5%) / New York Knicks +111 (45.5%)

• Over/Under: 214.5

Series schedule, results

Game 1: Knicks 115, Cavaliers 104 (OT)
Game 2:Knicks 109, Cavaliers 93
Game 3: New York at Cleveland (Saturday May 23, 8 p.m. ET, ABC)
Game 4: New York at Cleveland (Monday May 25, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Game 5: Cleveland at New York (Wednesday May 27, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*
Game 6: New York at Cleveland (Friday May 29, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*
Game 7: Cleveland at New York (Sunday May 31, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN)*

*if necessary

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After winning a dramatic, double-OT thriller in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs have dropped two straight games and face a 2-1 series deficit heading into Game 4 at home.

Depth and fatigue will be key factors in Game 4, and my Thunder vs. Spurs predictions expect the visiting team to earn a third straight victory.

Here are my best free NBA picks for Sunday, May 24.

Thunder vs Spurs Game 4 prediction

Thunder vs Spurs best bet: Thunder moneyline (+110)

The disparity in bench numbers has been jarring, as the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten 61 points and 121.6 minutes per game from their reserves, compared to just 21.3 points and 60.4 minutes for the San Antonio Spurs.

Victor Wembanyama has averaged 41.7 minutes, and giving him a break isn’t viable. The Spurs are +21 with him on the floor and -38 when he’s on the bench.

With Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox nursing injuries, and Wemby forced into big minutes, fatigue will be critical. I priced this line at -140, so I’m thrilled to get it early at +110.

COVERS INTEL: The Thunder’s 76 bench points in Game 3 are the most in a Conference Finals or NBA Finals game since 1971. Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s by 53 in the win.

Thunder vs Spurs Game 4 same-game parlay

OKC’s defense forced Victor Wembanyama outside the paint in Games 2 and 3. He attempted 25 shots and two three-pointers in Game 1 but combined for 31 shots and 12 triples over his last two. The Spurs need to adjust and get him more paint touches to utilize his size and create kickout opportunities. This is a strong value play at plus-money.

Part of San Antonio’s adjustment has to be more bench minutes. Keldon Johnson scored 20.4 points per 36 minutes while shooting 36.3% from beyond the arc this season. I’ll bet this one up to 9.5.

Thunder vs Spurs SGP

• Thunder moneyline
• Victor Wembanyama Under 1.5 3-pointers
• Keldon Johnson Over 8.5 points

Thunder vs Spurs odds for Game 4

• Spread: Oklahoma City +1.5 (-105) | San Antonio -1.5 (-115)
• Moneyline: Oklahoma City +110 | San Antonio -130
• Over/Under: Over 218 (-110) | Under 218 (-110)

Thunder vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Thunder have hit the moneyline in 25 of their last 30 games (+16.40 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Spurs.

How to watch Thunder vs Spurs Game 4

Thunder vs Spurs latest injuries

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For the first time in the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs trail the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a wild Game One victory, the Spurs lost two straight, including a 123-108 loss at home in Game Three. It was a game defined by the Thunder’s dominance. San Antonio started the game on a 15-0 run, and managed to lose the game by 15, a 30-point swing for OKC.

If you want a stat that sums up a lot of the game, it’s this one: OKC’s bench outscored San Antonio’s bench by 53 points (76-23). When Victor Wembanyama sat out, the Thunder went on huge runs. Even with him in the game, Oklahoma City’s bench was able to score from outside. Meanwhile, the Spurs couldn’t find any consistent offense as they continue to deal with injuries to key players like De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper.

The Spurs enter Game Four needing to win a game to prevent the Thunder from taking a 3-1 series lead. San Antonio is -126 favorites on FanDuel to defend home court and tie the series at 2-2 in Game Four. They’ll need to find a way to score against Oklahoma City’s swarming defense and get contributions from their bench to stay in the series.

Before looking ahead to Game Four, let’s grade the performances from Game Three. As a quick reminder, player grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

Victor Wembanyama

39 minutes, 26 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 8-for-15 shooting, 2-for-5 threes, +4

Wembanyama continues to be the Spurs’ most consistent offensive threat in this series. However, since the Thunder decided to guard him with a big man, Wembanyama has struggled to reach the scoring heights we saw in Game One. He’s being forced to hurt the Thunder on the perimeter, where he isn’t nearly as effective. He keeps getting pushed further and further away from the hoop and is stuck taking some tough shots.

Defensively, Wembanyama has to stick to what makes him great. Too many times, he is being pulled onto the perimeter to contest Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mid-range jumpers. While he’s away from the paint, the Thunder can find lanes for drives or kickout angles for threes. It’s also limiting Wemby’s impact on the boards, as he grabbed just four rebounds in the loss.

Grade: B

De’Aaron Fox

31 minutes, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 7-for-14 shooting, 1-for-6 threes, +9

You have to hand it to Fox for playing through what appears to be a significant ankle injury. He went down in the third quarter, and it looked like it might be the last time we see him in the game. But he gutted it out and came back into the game, clearly hampered.

Fox is giving them some nice offensive juice off the dribble, getting into the paint with speed and creatively finishing around the Thunder’s defense. The problem is he didn’t make a lot of his outside shots, which OKC dared him to take, and he turned the ball over four times. If he can play smart with the ball, push the pace, and make some outside shots, the Spurs will have a better chance to win Game Four.

Grade: B

Stephon Castle

35 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 1-for-8 shooting, 1-for-5 threes, -17

It looked like Castle struggled to adjust to Fox returning to the lineup. He corrected his turnover issue, but his offense was way off, making just one shot in the game. Defensively, he looks like he may be letting his emotions get the best of him. He is clearly frustrated with the officiating and is fed up with SGA’s ability to get to the free-throw line. He’s fouling too much and complaining about most of the foul calls. Castle is the Spurs’ most physical player, and he’s paying for it a bit with how he guards. He’ll have to play smarter defense if San Antonio wants a chance to win the series.

Grade: C+

Julian Champagnie

35 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 fouls, 4-for-10 shooting, 2-for-8 threes, -4

Not only was Champagnie struggling to hit threes, but he missed several defensive rotations. Champagnie would often overhelp off a shooter to help Wembanyama in the paint (he’s the Defensive Player of the Year and doesn’t need help) or sell out to stop a Gilgeous-Alexander drive and leave a player wide open for a kickout. The Spurs need him to make open shots, and they can’t afford major defensive mistakes. The margins in this series are razor-thin and those miscues will snowball as they did in Game Three.

Grade: C

Devin Vassell

36 minutes, 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 4 fouls, 6-for-12 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, -5

Vassell was arguably the most impactful Spur in Game Three. His shooting was always there when the Spurs needed it, and he was excellent defensively. He’s risen to the moment in this series in a way that makes him look like an untouchable part of the Spurs’ core moving forward.

I also appreciated Vassell sticking up for Castle when he got fouled hard in transition two times in a row. San Antonio has to fight back a bit against some of the physicality they are seeing from OKC.

Grade: A

Dylan Harper

17 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 2-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, -13

Harper looks like he is really struggling through an injury, even more than Fox. He doesn’t have the same level of explosion that he had in the first game of the series. That led to a pretty meh night from the rookie, who was inefficient scoring the ball, and didn’t make a huge impact defensively. Harper’s strength and athleticism give the Spurs an advantage in the backcourt. If those attributes are severely hampered by his injury, it’s hard to see them winning this series.

Grade: C

Keldon Johnson

12 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 1-for-5 shooting, 1-for-4 threes, -23

Johnson was borderline unplayable in Game Three. He provided no offense, and he continues to be a liability defensively. It feels like we’ve been saying the same things about KJ all playoffs. San Antonio needs his fire and energy to emerge. In a “must-win” Game Four, maybe we see Johnson return to his Sixth Man of the Year form.

Grade: D

Luke Kornet

13 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 2-for-3 shooting, -18

Kornet is in a tough position backing up Wembanyama. When he’s in the game without him, the Thunder are attacking the rim every chance they get. It’s not so much that Kornet is a bad rim defender; it’s just that Wembanyama is so good that it’s almost like a lid has been removed from the rim when he exits the game. That said, Kornet has to hold his ground better to give the Spurs a chance. Wembanyama is already playing more minutes in this series than he has in his entire career.

Grade: D

Harrison Barnes

3 minutes, 0-for-1 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, +2

Barnes hasn’t gotten much run in this series, but I wonder if he may get an increase in minutes moving forward. The Spurs need another shooter and someone who can create some offense on the wing. Barnes has regressed quickly this season and hasn’t shown the ability to be a strong rotational piece in quite some time. But these are desperate times for San Antonio, and Barnes has shown some of the skill set that they need against OKC.

Grade: Incomplete

Carter Bryant

10 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 1-for-3 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, -10

Bryant isn’t quite ready for a series like this. He can’t put the ball on the deck in a meaningful way, and he fouls way too much to be impactful defensively. All the youthful energy in the world isn’t enough to make up for some of those shortcomings against a great OKC team.

Grade: C-

Jordan McLaughlin

2 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, +/- 0

McLaughlin went from being in the rotation in Game Two to playing in garbage time in Game Three.

Grade: Incomplete

Lindy Waters III

2 minutes, +/- 0

Waters got some cardio in for two minutes at the end of the game, but didn’t make an impact.

Grade: Incomplete

Bismack Biyombo

2 minutes, +/- 0

Biyombo touched the floor against his former team, but didn’t do much.

Grade: Incomplete

Kelly Olynyk

2 minutes, 3 points, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-1 shooting, 1-for-1 threes, +/- 0

Olynyk was very involved in his two minutes. He knocked down a corner three.

Grade: Incomplete

Mason Plumlee

2 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 1-for-1 shooting, +/- 0

Plumlee got a shot to go at the rim and a block in his limited playing time.

Grade: Incomplete

Ahead of Saturday's pivotal Eastern Conference Finals Game 3 between the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges said team's mindset is to continue "playing desperate" despite their 2-0 lead in the series.

"We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta," Towns said. "We just got to, obviously, shoot the ball well."

"We just got to keep playing desperate," Bridges added. "I know it's easier for the team that's down 0-2 to play more desperate, but that can't be us. Keep doing what we've been doing. All playoffs, just staying desperate no matter what the situation is. To us, it's 0-0."

While New York has won the first two games of the Conference Finals by a combined margin of 27 points, the contests have been closer than meets the eye. The Knicks trailed by 22 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 before Jalen Brunson went on a scoring tear to force OT and steal the win, and they were down again after the first quarter of Game 2, but dominated the second and third quarters to earn the 16-point victory.

One of the keys to the Knicks' first-round and semifinal series wins over the Hawks and 76ers was Towns quarterbacking the offense. After going down 2-1 in the first-round matchup against Atlanta, Towns averaged 8.6 assists and posted two triple-doubles over the final three games. His assist numbers continued to guide the team against the Sixers, averaging 7.5 assists per night in the four-game sweep. 

With Cleveland having a bit more size to match up better defensively against Towns, New York's style of play has changed. Brunson is back in charge of the offense, dishing out six assists in Games 1 and another 14 dimes in Game 2. Luckily that change in playing style does not bother Towns, as the former No. 1 overall pick made it clear he'll do "whatever it takes" to help New York win.

"I've always said I'm willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win," Towns said. "That's the blessing of our group. We have multiple ways and systems that we can utilize to help us get the win. And I've been happy because we continue to win, so there's nothing to be sad about." 

Towns was asked if he thinks that lack of selfishness helps makes the Knicks' offense more dangerous, saying it shows the team's character and allows for them to be great.

"I think that the guys in the locker room, the characters, they speak so highly on the court and off the court, is what makes us special," Towns said.

For New York to continue its pursuit of reaching the NBA Finals, Towns said the team needs to keep trusting each other and displaying their "cohesiveness." 

"At the end of the day, regardless if we're home or away, it's about us executing and being disciplined in our gameplan. So that's the most important thing," Towns said. 

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

"We got to execute at a high level, have that desperation that we had in Philly and Atlanta"

Karl-Anthony Towns talks about the keys to success for the Knicks ahead of tonight's Game 3 in Cleveland: pic.twitter.com/qwQAgJhfuq

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) May 23, 2026