Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Cleveland -7.5, Total: 217.0

The Knicks will be going for their fifth straight win when they host a struggling Cavaliers team on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers beat the Raptors 116-112 as two-point road underdogs on Monday, but they had lost their previous three games in rather pathetic fashion. Cleveland lost by double digits to both Milwaukee and Los Angeles (at home), and then lost 111-105 as a 1.5-point favorite in Chicago. This Cavs team was not focused defensively, as they have allowed their opponents to shoot at least 45% from the floor in six of their past eight games. That type of effort on Wednesday would be unacceptable, as Cleveland is facing a red-hot New York group. The Knicks have won-and-covered in four straight games after beating the Heat 114-103 as one-point road underdogs on Tuesday night. New York is now 9-3 SU in its past 12 games, and the team has covered in 10 of those contests. These teams did, however, meet on Oct. 25 and the Cavs blew out the Knicks 117-88 as nine-point home favorites. Cleveland is now 7-1 SU but only 3-5 ATS when facing New York over the past three seasons. One trend that favors the Cavs is that they are 16-5 ATS after allowing 55 points ore more in the first half of two straight games over the past three seasons. The Knicks, meanwhile, are 32-10 ATS after scoring 105 points or more in three straight games since 1996. They might have to play without PG Derrick Rose (Back), though. Rose was dealing with back spasms in the second half of New York’s win over Miami. He’ll play if he’s healthy enough, but the Knicks are going to be cautious with him.

The Cavs snapped a three-game losing streak with an impressive win over the Raptors on Monday. SF LeBron James (23.9 PPG, 9.2 APG, 7.7 RPG, 1.1 SPG) was unbelievable in that win, as he finished the game with 34 points, eight boards, seven assists and two steals in 42 minutes of action. He’ll need to come through with a similar effort in this one, as his matchup with Carmelo Anthony will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game. James got the best of that matchup in the first meeting between these teams. He finished that game with 19 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds. PG Kyrie Irving (24.4 PPG, 4.7 APG) could be in for a huge game on Wednesday, though. Irving is on a tear right now, as he is averaging 26.2 PPG and 4.4 APG over the past five contests. Look for him to be super aggressive in this one, as he had 29 the last time he faced this Knicks team. PF Kevin Love (21.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG) will, however, need to be on his game in order for Cleveland to win. The Cavaliers need him to hold his own against Kristaps Porzingis, but that is no easy task for anyone.

The Knicks are on fire right now and SF Carmelo Anthony (23.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.0 SPG) is playing some good basketball recently. Anthony had 35 points on 13-for-27 shooting against the Heat on Tuesday, and the Knicks will be hoping that he saved some of that for Wednesday. If he does not play well in this game then it’s tough to imagine the Knicks winning. PF Kristaps Porzingis (20.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.7 BPG) will also need to play well for New York. Porzingis has been doing the little things lately, as he is averaging 13.0 RPG and 2.5 BPG over the past two contests. He has, however, shot just 1-for-10 from the outside in those games. Porzingis needs to start knocking down some outside shots, as the Knicks will need him to score in this game against Cleveland. Another guy that might need to be aggressive as a scorer is PG Brandon Jennings (7.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG). If Derrick Rose (16.7 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.1 RPG) is out or just banged up then Jennings can’t play passively on Wednesday. He has been very tentative in his time with the team, but New York will need him to take some shots himself. Another guy to keep an eye on is C Kyle O’Quinn (5.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG). Over the past five games, O’Quinn is averaging 8.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 1.6 BPG. He’s doing a good job of protecting the rim and he will need to provide a spark off the bench on Wednesday.