While they took two very different paths to get to this point, the two teams many people expected to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals this season are set to meet tomorrow to decide which one advances to the NBA Finals. Here are your NBA Playoffs predictions and preview for Tuesday, May 19th.
NBA Playoffs Predictions & Preview For Tuesday, May 19th
Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks
Start Time – 8:00 PM EST
The two teams I was referring to in the intro are, of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks. Both teams underperformed against their preseason win-total over/unders (the Knicks just barely), and were only the third- and fourth-best teams in the conference this season, but here they are, right where we expected them to be.
While the Knicks steamrolled their way to the conference finals, winning eight of ten games, the Cavaliers had to claw and scratch their way to this point. While rest vs rust is always a debate in the playoffs, the time off did have the positive benefit of allowing OG Anunoby to heal his hamstring. He is listed as probable to play tomorrow night.
Home court advantage is more pronounced in the playoffs than in the regular season, so I’m picking the Knicks to win Game 1 tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden. However, my line is only New York -6, so I’m taking the Cavaliers plus the points.
Best Bet: Cleveland +7.5 (-115)
2025/6 Overall Record: 212-169 (56%)
Profit (based on $100/bet): $2,240.40
Return on Investment: 6%
SGPN Daily Content for May 19th, 2026
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