The Eastern Conference Finals get started this evening at the World’s Most Famous Arena. The third-seeded Knicks (53-29) have been on a roll, winning seven straight postseason games. It’s been a far different story for fourth-seeded Cleveland (52-30), a squad that has played two straight seven-game sets. Still, the Cavaliers come into tonight with some momentum, having eliminated the rival Pistons on Sunday. Will New York take care of business at home against a conference foe?

Let’s break down how the public is betting this Game 1 contest on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 1 Betting Splits, Odds

The betting public is firmly siding with the Knicks, which doesn’t come as a surprise. As previously mentioned, New York has been nothing short of dominant this postseason. A masterful four-game sweep of Philadelphia, including three blowouts, came as a shock to most. Head coach Mike Brown seems to have unlocked a new facet to this offense with Karl-Anthony Towns serving as a distributor. During ten playoff games, the center is averaging 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and a team-leading 6.6 assists. Fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson has been his usual dominant self as well. The ‘Bockers are backed by 61% of the handle and 65% of all bets on the moneyline.

It’s the spread where these betting splits become a bit more even. After all, we’ve seen this Cavaliers squad fight back countless times during these playoffs. Cleveland has gone 2-0 in elimination games this postseason, eking out series wins over Toronto and Detroit. Midseason acquisition James Harden was an all-around contributor in round two, averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists against the Pistons. There’s no question that the Cavs have enough offensive firepower to make this a series. The big question is how the defense will hold up, especially when guarding Brunson on the perimeter. 55% of the handle on the spread is siding with New York, while 52% of all bettors are taking Cleveland +7.5.

The betting public is expecting plenty of fireworks tonight at MSG. 81% of the handle and 76% of all bets are going towards the over. New York has reached 218 total points in four of its last six postseason contests. However, that was due almost entirely to massive offensive outbursts from the Knicks. On the other side, Cleveland has surpassed this total in eight of its 14 playoff games. It’s worth noting that two of those instances would have gone under if not for overtime. Granted, there’s higher shootout potential in this series compared to rounds one and two. If the Cavs trail during the second half, they could make a concerted effort to push the pace.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 1 Most Popular Player Props

Here are the top three most-bet player props for tonight’s game on the DraftKings Sportsbook:

1. Jalen Brunson 1st Points Scorer (+470)
2. Jarrett Allen 1st Points Scorer (+463)
3. Karl-Anthony Towns 6+ assists (+117)

Unsurprisingly, Jalen Brunson is the first name off the board for Tuesday’s player props. New York’s face of the franchise has been terrific this postseason, averaging 27.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. To boot, he’s delivered stellar 49/41/86 shooting splits. Despite a few hiccups in round one against Atlanta, Brunson has looked unflappable during the playoffs. JB has scored at least 23 points in four of his last five meetings with the Cavaliers. Expect to see wings Max Strus, Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson defending the point guard in this series.

Jarrett Allen isn’t the first name most fans think of when looking over these two rosters. However, the former All-Star was terrific on Sunday night, leading Cleveland’s offense over a formidable Pistons defense. The center dropped 23 points and seven rebounds in just 25 minutes against Detroit in Game 7. Allen has recorded double-digit points in ten of his 14 appearances this postseason. However, he’s failed to reach that mark in two of his previous three matchups with New York.

As previously mentioned, Karl-Anthony Towns has been an offensive hub for the Knicks over the past few weeks. In many ways, the All-NBA center’s worst enemy is himself. He’s always been prone to getting into foul trouble, leading to limited minutes in round two against Joel Embiid. Fortunately for the Knicks, none of Cleveland’s big men are as gifted at getting to the charity stripe. Towns has dished out at least six assists in each of his last seven outings. However, KAT hasn’t reached this total in any of his previous five matchups with the Cavaliers.