The 2025-26 NBA regular season tipped off last night with a doubleheader, but the real fun begins on Wednesday with 12 games on the schedule. The action kicks off at 7 p.m. EST when two Eastern Conference contenders square off at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. In this contest, the New York Knicks battle the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin their respective campaigns with high hopes for making an early impression.
Here’s a Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s season opener.
Knicks vs. Cavaliers prediction, preview
Each of these teams made the NBA Playoffs last year, but the Knicks saw more success during their run with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals while the Cavaliers were eliminated in the semis. With the East even more wide-open now due to unfortunate injuries to the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, the conference remains available for the taking. Either of the Knicks and Cavaliers are capable of making a significant run come playoff time, but it’s far too early to focus on that — for now, they take things one game at a time.
The Knicks didn’t make many significant moves over the offseason, but they did add some much-needed depth around the edges. Of course, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns anchor the star power with Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby at the forward spots. However, the additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele should help off the bench, and the hiring of Mike Brown signifies a new direction for the franchise after plateauing with Tom Thibodeau over the last few seasons. Expect the same rugged defense from New York this season but with a potentially more creative offensive scheme under Brown. For the purposes of this game though, Josh Hart (back) and Mitchell Robinson (load management) are both out while Towns (quad) is questionable.
Looking toward the Cavaliers, the same core pieces remain in place that made Cleveland one of the NBA’s two best teams during the previous regular season. The guard tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland run the backcourt with Sam Merrill and the addition of Lonzo Ball behind them as depth. At forward, 3+D stud De’Andre Hunter slots in at the three alongside the reigning DPOY Evan Mobley at the four. The latter becomes one of the more intriguing players in the league with potential to take another leap as an offensive option after averaging a career-best 18.5 PPG last year. Jarrett Allen still protects the rim alongside him at center with Dean Wade and Larry Nance Jr. rounding out the frontcourt depth. The Cavs’ defense should remain formidable as ever, and while Garland (toe) is out and Hunter (knee) is questionable, Mitchell and Mobley are capable of putting the team on their backs.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks pick, best bet
The Cavaliers enter tonight’s contest as slight -1.5 favorites with -115 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Knicks are listed at -105 on the Moneyline with a game total of 227.5 points, so these squads are close.
This contest hinges primarily on the status of Towns. New York’s star big man excelled during his first season in the Big Apple with 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game while still shooting 42.0% from three-point range. He’s the kind of talent who can shift the game, but if he doesn’t suit up, the Knicks miss their second option on offense and premier rebounding threat. Yabusele deserved his deal with this team, but he won’t stack up to the frontcourt duo of Mobley and Allen, who could dominate the boards in KAT’s absence.
If Towns suits up, New York stands a much better chance of coming out with a win to open the year. Regardless of his status though, these teams both boast elite defenses and could easily turn this into a slugfest on that end. The wing duo of Anunoby and Bridges wreak havoc, as do the Cavs’ big men. There’s plenty of scoring in today’s NBA, but this feels like a great opportunity to take the under and genuinely feel good about it.
