The New York Knicks were the worst team in the league before the All Star break, and they've since lost the services of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. They will host Cleveland on Sunday, and the Cavs are asked to cover a big number as a road favorite. After seeing the Knicks lose at home by a score of 111-87 to Miami on Friday, it doesn't inspire much confidence that this team can compete with even the worst teams in the league, never mind a Cleveland team that has won 15 of their last 17.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - The Cavs last three wins have all come by at least 15 points, and they crushed the Wizards in Washington by a score of 127-89 on Friday. Cleveland have covered the spread in seven of it's last 10 overall.

2. Carmelo Anthony - The Knicks have covered the spread in four of their last five versus Cleveland, but without their leading scorer they haven't been competitive at all. Anthony has missed 14 games this season, and the Knicks have lost every single one of those games.

3. X-Factor - J.R. Smith will return to New York, and he's been a key player for Cleveland since coming over from the Knicks. His numbers are up since joining the Cavs, and he filled the stat sheet on Friday night, scoring 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block in just 29 minutes in the win over the Wizards.

Selection: This is a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers (8*)