Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Oct. 22

The Knicks are favored at home in their season opener.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson is a great prop target on Wednesday night. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Two Eastern Conference contenders open their 2025-26 season in New York on Wednesday, as Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks host Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Last season, the Cavs finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland made some minor moves this offseason, adding Lonzo Ball and Thomas Bryant, but it lost Ty Jerome (a Sixth Man of the Year candidate last season) to Memphis in free agency.

The Knicks also had their season ended by the Pacers, only that loss happened in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York returns much of the same core from last season’s team, although it added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to the bench and fired Tom Thibodeau as the franchise’s head coach.

Mike Brown now takes over a Knicks team that has massive expectations in the 2025-26 season and is favored at home on Wednesday night.

The Cavs may not be as good in Game 1 as they will be later on in the season, as two starters – Darius Garland and Max Strus – are injured and set to miss this game. Garland should be back sooner than Strus, who is dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot. 

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to bet on in the prop market and my prediction for this season opener for two of the best teams in the East. 

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Cavs +1.5 (-110)
• Knicks -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Cavs: +114
• Knicks: -135

Total

• 228.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Cavaliers vs. Knicks How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 22
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Madison Square Garden
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Cavs record: 0-0
• Knicks record: 0-0

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Injury Reports

Cavs Injury Report

• Darius Garland – out
• Max Strus – out
• De’Andre Hunter – questionable

Knicks Injury Report

• Josh Hart -- out
• Mitchell Robinson -- out
• OG Anunoby -- probable
• Karl-Anthony Towns -- questionable

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Best NBA Prop Bets

Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Jalen Brunson OVER 24.5 Points (-119)

The Knicks are going to be playing a bit of a new system on offense with Mike Brown as the head coach, but I still think Jalen Brunson will be the clear driving force of the action.

Brunson scored 31 points and took 25 shots in his final preseason tune up, and he’s now taking on a Cleveland team that he has torched as a member of the Knicks, dating back to the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Brunson had 21, 26 and 27 points in his three games against Cleveland last season, and the Cavs lack a true elite guard defender on their roster – especially with Isaac Okoro now in Chicago. Does Sam Merrill get the nod on Brunson? Maybe Lonzo Ball? 

I don’t love the matchups for Cleveland in this game, and Brunson is coming off a season where he averaged 26.0 points per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.

He’s a must bet at this number in the Knicks’ season opener. 

Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction and Pick

The Cavs dominated the Knicks in the 2024-25 season, but this is a new campaign and these rosters look a lot different on opening night.

First off, the Knicks have a much deeper team with Clarkson and Yabusele in the fold. As for the Cavs, they could be down three rotation players if Hunter (questionable) is unable to suit up. 

Cleveland doesn’t have a ton of great wing depth, and it’s going to need youngster Jaylon Tyson or veteran Dean Wade to give the team some quality minutes early in the season.

Oddsmakers are clearly high on the Cavs, as they’re barely underdogs even with Garland and Strus out, but I think the Knicks are the team to bet on in this matchup.

The defensive issues the Knicks had last season are worth noting, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns is on the floor, but Cleveland doesn’t have nearly as many ways to exploit them with Donovan Mitchell as the only elite guard scorer healthy for this game. 

New York was 13 games over .500 at home last season, and I think it’s undervalued with the Cavs coming into this opener with so many injury questions. 

Pick: Knicks Moneyline (-135 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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