NBA Betting - New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers

On Wednesday night, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (14-3 SU, 13-4 ATS) meet the team he is presumed to be joining in two years, the New York Knicks (8-9 SU, 7-9 ATS) in NBA pro basketball sports betting action that is set to tip off at 7 PM ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

BetUS NBA Betting Odds: CLEVELAND -15, Total 216.5

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* NY has covered one of its last five road games

* NY has lost 18 of its last 22 road games SU

* NY has played 10 of its last 15 road games OVER the total

* CLEV has won and covered its last five games

* CLEV has played five of its last seven games UNDER the total

* CLEV has won its last nine home games SU

* CLEV has covered its last five home games

* CLEV has played six of its last eight home games OVER the total

Also....

* NY has covered eight of the last 12 meetings

* CLEV has won four of the last six meetings SU

* The last five meetings have gone OVER the total

* NY has covered five of the last six meetings as the road team

* CLEV has covered 12 of the last 18 meetings as the home team

* CLEV has won 14 of the last 18 meetings SU as the home team

* Five of the last seven meetings in Cleveland have gone UNDER the total

* NY has had the shooting edge in seven of the last ten meetings

* CLEV has had the rebounding edge in six of the last nine meetings

* CLEV has made more three-pointers in four of the last six meetings

This game represents some ironies for sure. The Knicks, in their apparent zeal to put themselves in a position to recruit LeBron James to the Big Apple, and also because they can't help being dysfunctional, have created something of a personnel crisis. The Knicks have been making deals for salary cap space, and have also been busy trying to get Stephon Marbury out of their hair. Jamal Crawford has been traded, Cuttino Mobley, who was acquired from the Clippers, probably isn't going to pass the physical; Marbury is no longer welcome at practices or at games, and Nate Robinson is injured. The result is that the Knicks have only two guards - Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson. Duhon, who has averaged 8.5 assists, is dealing with back issues, and the Knicks are doing battle with just seven or eight players.

That means the Knicks don't have a lot of flexibility with their personnel, which is a problem against a team that has the ensemble Cleveland possesses in support of James. The Cavs can wear New York down, the same way Portland did last night at the Garden, as they turned a four-point deficit at the end of three quarters into a seven-point victory. The Knicks shot badly (41%) as they are usually going to do against teams who can defend a little. Cleveland (42.1% field goals allowed; second best in NBA) falls into that category.

Donnie Walsh, who is now heading up the operation for the Knicks, basically told Marbury to get lost until they decide how much they want to buy him out for. This team actually got off to a decent start under new coach Mike D'Antoni but has now lost six of its last eight games. Cleveland's had three days off, has been shooting well, is undefeated at home and is 7-2 ATS at Quicken Loans Arena. They're better, deeper and more disciplined. And LeBron, who had 26 points in a previous 18-point blowout at MSG on November 25, in which Cleveland shot 53%, seems dead set at demonstrating just how badly they need him in New York.

Lay the points with the Cavaliers, the 15-point favorite in the BetUS NBA odds.

JAY'S PLAY: CLEVELAND -15 **

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay of http://www.ebookies.com makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)