Stephen Nover

The Cavaliers have been great in their two Game 7's during the playoffs. But they haven't been so good in their opening playoff game. They lost by 10 points on the road to the Pistons in Game 1 in their recently concluded series.

The timing is not good for Cleveland to stay close in this Game 1 opening playoff series road matchup against the Knicks.

While the Cavaliers are off an emotional road upset of the Pistons two days ago, the Knicks have been rested and prepared for the past nine days after sweeping the 76ers in their second round playoff series.

This setup is similar to when the Knicks hosted the 76ers in Game 1. Philadelphia had just upset the Celtics on the road in Game 7. They weren't ready to play and got blown out by the Knicks by 39 points.

The Knicks are riding a seven-game winning streak where they outscored their opponents by an NBA-record 185 points.

I find the Knicks to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. They have the top net rating of all the playoff teams during the postseason so far.

It is not a fluke. Credit to the Cavaliers for taking out the Pistons in come from behind style. But the Knicks have the better up and down roster, the superior defense and are in a hugely advantageous situation. 

My first look at an early start getaway game is to the Under where some starters often get rested and the teams are anxious to hurry the game up so they can get on to their next destination.

The Under bill fits here in this Reds-Phillies matchup.

Philadelphia's offense has been disappointing all season. The Phillies rank in the bottom 10 in runs, OPS and batting average. They are averaging three runs a game during the first two games of this series.

Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott is in the midst of his best stretch of the season allowing only three runs during his past four starts spanning 22 2/3 innings.

The total is high here because the Phillies are starting Aaron Nola, who is enduring a rocky season with a 5.91 ERA. Nola, though, has displayed some positive signs. He threw six shutout innings against the Marlins earlier this month.

The Reds have failed to break the four-run barrier during each of their last four games. They are third from last in batting average.