The NBA will start the season with a bang by matching up the best with the best in the Eastern Conference tonight. We get that in this Cavs vs. Knicks game, as both teams finished in the top three of the conference in 2024.
Last year’s top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers will clash with last year’s No. 3 seed New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN tonight. The Cavs will be without PG Darius Garland.
Below, we’ll break down the Cavs vs. Knicks Prediction, Picks, including the top picks on PrizePicks real money NBA game, like Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Cavs vs. Knicks Prediction, Stats for Wednesday, 10/22
The Cavaliers and Knicks each ended up in the top three in the Eastern Conference standings. With both teams finishing below expectations of winning the championship, they will be highly determined for the chance to play for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Cavaliers and Knicks returned all of their top players, including Cleveland G Donovan Mitchell and New York G Jalen Brunson, ensuring neither team is short on star power for this early season marquee matchup.
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
- The Cavs are coming off an Eastern Conference-best 64 wins, securing the No. 1 seed. Being the best in the regular season could not help them in the postseason as the Pacers bounced them in the conference semifinals.
- This was an offense-driven team as they led the league in points (121.7), and were third in field goals made per game (44.2).
- Cleveland also had a formidable defense, finishing 10th in points allowed per game (111.9) and eighth in defensive efficiency (1.085).
- The team remains intact, as they return all of their starting five from last year, though PG Dairus Garland will miss this game.
- They made one significant addition by bringing in PG Lonzo Ball in a backup role, but he'll fill in for Garland tonight.
New York Knicks Preview
- The Knicks made their first conference finals since the 1999-00 season; however, they lost to the Indiana Pacers.
- New York made a coaching change and let go of Tom Thibodeau after five seasons. They hired former Kings and Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown.
- They made a huge splash in the 2024 offseason, trading for C Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a massive contributor as he led the team in rebounds (12.8) and was second in points (22.4).
Cavs vs. Knicks Best Picks for PrizePicks Tonight
Here are the top Cavs vs. Knicks picks to target on PrizePicks tonight. Use this analysis to help make your NBA predictions today, or use our NBA DFS Cheat Sheet to fill out your Lineup.
Knicks G Jalen Brunson Projection: 26.5 Points
- Jalen Brunson’s 26.0 points per game were eighth in the league last season.
- The former Villanova star regressed in net rating from a career-high 4.6 in 2023-24 to 3.8 in 2024-25.
- Brunson scored more than 26 points in just one of three games against the Cavaliers last season.
- Brunson’s 24.7 points per game against Cleveland were the fourth-lowest among Eastern Conference opponents.
- New York allowed an average of 23.9 points per game to guards last season.
Karl-Anthony Towns Projection: 11.5 Rebounds
- Karl-Anthony Towns' first season in New York was a personal success, with his 12.8 rebounds ranking second in the league.
- The Cavaliers were 12th in rebounds allowed per game (51.7).
- KAT had more than 11 rebounds in only one of three games against the Cavs, including seven, which was his second-lowest total of the season.
- Towns has less than 11 rebounds in four straight season openers.
Cavaliers G Donovan Mitchell: 9.5 FG Made
- Mitchell had more than 9 FG made in 26 of 71 games last year.
- The Knicks were tenth in opponents’ field goals made per game (41.0).
- The former Jazz guard had 10 FG made in two of three games against the New York last season.
- The Cavs will be missing G Darius Garland due to a toe injury.
- Mitchell has more than 9 FG made in three of his last five games without Garland in the lineup.
Make NBA Picks on PrizePicks
On Tuesday, we had a taste of the NBA season with opening night; now we get a full slate of 12 matchups. One of the premier games features Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers taking on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
In a matchup that features two playoff teams, there are plenty of options when making a lineup on PrizePicks.
Just pick More or Less on NBA player projections and win money if you're right. Check out the Playbook for more NBA DFS picks and analysis all the way through the season.
