Now Game 2 becomes a test of response. The Knicks enter with momentum, eight straight wins and a formula that worked late, especially when Brunson repeatedly attacked James Harden<\/a> in pick-and-roll actions. The Cavaliers must now decide how to adjust defensively, whether to find more answers on Brunson and how to keep its offense from going stagnant in crunch time. Donovan Mitchell<\/a> played well, the Cavaliers generated quality looks and they had Game 1 within reach. But after letting it slip away, Thursday night becomes about composure, corrections and whether Cleveland can avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.<\/p>\n Let’s dig further into the matchups to identify some betting angles and DFS value picks for tonight’s action.<\/p>\n Moody’s Bets for Thursday<\/p>\n Evan Mobley<\/a> over 27.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-110)<\/p>\n Mobley looked like the best frontcourt player on the floor in Game 1. He has cleared this line in four of his last five playoff games while averaging 12.8 field goal attempts, 17.0 rebound chances and 7.6 potential assists per game during that span. The Knicks had trouble dealing with Mobley and Jarrett Allen<\/a> on the glass in Game 1, and that should remain a point of emphasis for Cleveland. The Cavaliers should be motivated to respond after their Game 1 collapse, putting Mobley in a strong position to clear this line again in Game 2.<\/p>\n OG Anunoby<\/a> 20+ points and rebounds (-126)<\/p>\n After missing the final two games of the second round with a left hamstring strain, Anunoby returned to the court in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. Even though he did not clear this line in Game 1, he has met the threshold in eight of his last 10 games. Anunoby has averaged 11 field goal attempts and 11 rebound chances per game during that span. He should remain heavily involved in the Knicks’ rotation after averaging 33.1 minutes per game over that same stretch.<\/p>\n Sam Merrill<\/a> over 2.5 3-pointers (+140)<\/p>\n The Knicks like to pack the paint defensively, which can create 3-point opportunities on the perimeter. Merrill has cleared this line in two consecutive games and in two of four games against New York this season. He has also attempted 65 3-pointers in these playoffs and has made at least two in five straight games. The volume should be there for Merrill, and it’s worth noting that he has cleared this line in 31 of 56 games this season in which he has played at least 20 minutes.<\/p>\n Top Daily Fantasy Values of the Day<\/p>\n $8,100+ Salaries<\/p>\n Jalen Brunson, PG, New York Knicks ($10,400)<\/p>\n Brunson sparked one of the league’s greatest postseason comebacks and finished with 58.2 fantasy points and a 32.7% usage rate. Head coach Mike Brown did an excellent job of positioning the veteran guard for success, and I expect that to continue in Game 2. Brunson has averaged 46.4 fantasy points over the last seven games, giving him a strong floor with room for an even higher ceiling.<\/p>\n Donovan Mitchell, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers ($9,800)<\/p>\n Mitchell delivered for DFS players in Game 1’s overtime thriller, finishing with 53.8 fantasy points across 41 minutes while contributing in every statistical category, including six steals. He also posted a 28.7% usage rate and should continue to shoulder much of the offensive responsibility for the Cavaliers after they relinquished a 22-point lead. Mitchell is Cleveland’s best offensive playmaker, and considering how stout the Knicks’ defense is, it makes sense for him to lead the way offensively. He’s also my favorite captain candidate at $14,700.<\/p>\n $6,100-$8,000 Salaries<\/p>\n Mikal Bridges<\/a>, SF, New York Knicks ($7,200)<\/p>\n Bridges has been very consistent so far this postseason, averaging 32.3 fantasy points per game over his last six games. He benefits from playing alongside Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns<\/a>, given the defensive attention they command. Even with a modest 15.3% usage rate and 30.4 minutes per game this postseason, Bridges remains a reliable DFS option because of his efficient scoring, defensive production and steady role.<\/p>\n $6,000 and under Salaries<\/p>\n Sam Merrill, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers ($4,000)<\/p>\n Merrill has solidified his role in the Cavaliers’ rotation. He has played at least 20 minutes in four consecutive games and scored at least 19 fantasy points in two of them. Merrill is used primarily as a shooter, especially from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers attempted 50 3-pointers against the Knicks in Game 1, and that volume should continue in Game 2.<\/p>\n Projections and Injury Reports<\/p>\n Basketball Power Index<\/a> by ESPN Analytics. Injury aggregation by Rotowire.com. Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook<\/p>\n Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> at New York Knicks<\/a><\/p>\n 8 p.m. ET<\/p>\n Line: Cavaliers +6.5 (-105) | Knicks -6.5 (-115)<\/p>\n Money line: Cavaliers +200 | Knicks -245<\/p>\n Total: 216.5 (-110 O, -110 U)<\/p>\n BPI Projection: Knicks by 7.2, straight up 71%, 218.9 total points. Cavaliers: None reported<\/p>\n Knicks: None reported<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2026 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ESPN’s basketball daily cheat sheet is your pregame destination before you lock in daily fantasy and betting decisions…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":685458,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557],"tags":[330328,64,63,615,17603,794,595,590,1666,141237,118325,85],"class_list":["post-685457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-330328","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-betting","tag-cleveland-cavaliers","tag-espn","tag-fantasy","tag-nba","tag-new-york-knicks","tag-news-nba","tag-news-sports-betting","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685457\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/685458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cle.png\"\/)
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<\/p>\n
Injury Report:<\/p>\n