TST Best Bets: May 21, 2026

Game 1 of the Cavs-Knicks series was an absolute nightmare for the road team, as Cleveland dominated wire-to-wire before blowing a whopping 22-point lead in the fourth quarter, resulting in an overtime New York victory. 

Now 2-6 on the road this postseason, can the Cavs stave off falling down 2-0 after such a deflating Game 1 loss?

To come out a winner during these NBA Playoffs, here are tonight’s TST Best Bets brought to you by BetOnline.ag. Click here to join. All new players get a 50% welcome bonus and up to $250 in free bets.

First Pick: New York Knicks -6.5 over Cleveland Cavaliers

Rundown: When an underdog wins a series, they have to win on the margins. 

For the Cavs, Game 1 was a major opportunity to steal homecourt and all the momentum in the series. 

In a classic rust versus rest situation, the Cavs were coming off a grueling seven-game series with just one day of rest compared to the Knicks’ nine days of preparation after their sweep in the second round. 

The Knicks were caught sleeping for three quarters, and the Cavs let them get away with it, giving up the largest playoff comeback in franchise history. 

Expect the deflation of the end of Game 1 to carry into Game 2, as New York takes a blowout victory to become just two games away from an NBA Finals appearance. 

Second Pick: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Over 216

Rundown: The star guards in this series can simply not guard each other, and it’s going to lead to some exciting duels and a lot of overs. 

New York hunted and filleted James Harden on defense the entire fourth quarter and overtime, and were rewarded with easy basket after easy basket. 

Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and as long as Harden remains on the court, the Knicks will always have an easy button to hit for instant offense in this series. 

At the same time, while Harden is a defensive liability, he is sure to have better offensive nights in this series than the performance he put up in Game 1, going 5-for-16 from the field with six turnovers. 

Donovan Mitchell went scoreless in overtime in Game 1, but should project to have a much better performance in Game 2. 

The Knicks also have a liability at the guard position defensively in Brunson, and expect the Cavs to more aggressively target him going forward, which result in an easy over hit in Game 2.