NBA · 17 hours ago

Monday Night NBA Playoff Picks: Raptors Aim to Cover vs Cavs, Knicks Look to Dominate Hawks

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

The NBA playoffs started with a bang over the weekend. We saw unexpected blowouts, a big upset, some stars show up, and others knock knees in practice and take a seat. As we shift to the Monday Primetime slate, we’ve got a pair of Game 2 picks for your postseason portfolio.

Where to Watch Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers

Location: Rocket Arena
Where to Watch: NBC Sports, Peacock
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Odds

Spread: CLE -8.5 (-110) | TOR +8.5 (-110)
Total: Over 222.5 (-110) | Under (-110)
Moneyline: CLE -370 | TOR +295

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers Kalshi Odds

Chance: CLE 77% | TOR 23%
Spread: CLE -8.5 Yes (49¢) | No (52¢)
Total: Over 221.5 Yes (52¢) | No (49¢)

TOR vs CLE Odds & Predictions, Free Picks, Prop Bets Today & Injury Updates

Toronto Raptors +8.5

It was a tale of two halves (almost) in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon. The Toronto Raptors hung around on the road against a team that they went 3-0 against in the regular season, but fell apart late in the second. The Cleveland Cavaliers went on a 27-9 run over the last minute-plus to lead by seven at the half. The momentum kept surging after the break, as Cleveland took the third period 36-22.

Granted, this is a different Cavaliers squad. The addition of James Harden (G1 – 22 PTS, 10 AST), Max Strus (G1 – playoff career-high 24 PTS), with legs under him after missing 67 games to start the season, and a relatively healthy frontcourt in Jarrett Allen (G1 – 10 PTS, 7 REB) and Evan Mobley (G 1 – 17 PTS, 7 REB).

Toronto let the game slip, unable to hang in the halfcourt—way too many layups, dunks, and uncontested looks. I expect Darko Rajaković to make major adjustments on defense, specifically by improving guarding the pick-and-roll and preaching better help and switch defense.

If you look at the major numbers, this game should have been a lot closer than the sometimes 20+ point lead and even a 13-point final deficit when the Raps made a run against the second unit. Shooting percentages from three and the floor were close to a wash, but points in the paint and cleaning of the offensive glass were dirtier than the Cuyahoga River. The Cavs outscored Toronto 52-36 in the paint, 33-27 on the glass, and 7-4 in offensive rebounding.

I expect Jakob Poeltl to rebound literally and figuratively following a game in which he looked lost at times. If Toronto’s big man can shore up some of those gritty areas and pull his weight in the paint, I can’t see the Cavs pulling away like this again.

The Raps first win in this series probably won’t come until we shift to Toronto, but I’ll take the points confidently here.

Dunk on the sportsbooks tonight! Grab SportsGrid’s free NBA picks, NBA props, and NBA SGPs.

Where to Watch Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks

Location: Madison Square Garden — New York, New York
Where to Watch: NBC/Peacock
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks Betting Odds

Spread: NYK -5.5 (-114) | ATL +5.5 (-106)
Total: Over 217.5 (-108) | Under (-112)
Moneyline: NYK -240 | ATL +198

Atlanta Hawks vs New York Knicks Kalshi Odds

Chance: NYK 69% | ATL 32%
Spread: NYK -4.5 Yes (55¢) | No (46¢)
Total: Over 218.5 Yes (48¢) | No (53¢)

ATL vs NYK Odds & Predictions, Free Picks, Prop Bets Today & Injury Updates

New York Knicks Moneyline

The New York Knicks lived up to all the hype and billing this team has gotten over the past year and then some. While Tom Thibodeau is long gone, his sermons of leaning on your starters/stars still echo through the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The deepest starting lineup in basketball may be accompanied by the shallowest bench, but if the Big Five can stay healthy and log large Thibs minutes, I can’t see Atlanta hanging on the road.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges all went over 32 minutes in Game 1, overwhelming this young, inexperienced Atlanta Hawks side. The perfect combination of half-court scoring, pushing the pace off turnovers (G1 – NYK 22-13 fastbreak PTS), and keying in on Atlanta’s rising star Jalen Johnson proved to be the formula for grounding the Hawks.

The Knicks held Johnson to 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. That may not sound like much, but it has to be mentioned when defending a player who almost averaged a triple-double in the regular season.

Role players like CJ McCollum (Game-high 26 PTS in G1) are nice. The emergence of Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Career best 20.8 PPG in 2025-26) and the steady play of Dyson Daniels make the Trae Young-less Hawks a charming Cinderella story, but this team is at least a year away from cashing that glass slipper. Add to that, rising big man Onyeka Okongwu, coming off a season where he averaged a career-best 15.2 PPG to go along with 7.6 RPG, is questionable with right knee inflammation after playing 37 minutes in Game 1. The way New York plays with energy on the glass and attacks the paint, even a limited Okongwu really sets back a team with one star.

I’m playing it a little safe on the ML, but you can also consider teasing the spread down to -2.5. Either way, the Hawks don’t escape New York with a win tonight.