The Cleveland Cavaliers (3-0) visit the New York Knicks (1-1) on NBA Monday, tipping off at 7:30 p.m. ET from New York, New York. The game is airing live on MSG and streaming on NBA League Pass.
The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites over the Cavaliers on the spread (Knicks -2.5), with the over/under currently at 222.5 points. The Knicks are -140 favorites on the moneyline to win outright, while the Cavaliers are +126 to pull off the upset.
Let's dive into my Cavaliers vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Monday, October 28.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Prediction
My pick: Knicks -2.5 (-109, BetRivers)
Don't let the Boston game fool you. This Knicks team is tough, versatile, and switchable; they quickly cleaned up their rough defensive performance from the first game, holding Indiana (eighth in 3P% in 2023-24) to 3-for-30 shooting from 3-point land in Game 2.
Last season, New York knocked off the Cavs twice in three matchups. In the one game the Knicks lost, they shot only 5-for-30 from deep.
Don't expect that to happen again, as they now have three 40+ % shooters in Karl Anthony-Towns, Jalen Brunson, and Miles McBride and two near-40% shooters in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.
The Knicks also finished last season as the top rebounding team in the league (total rebounding percentage), so despite a change in personnel, I don't expect Cleveland to win the rebounding battle.
This will be a tight game between two Eastern Conference contenders, but I like the Knicks at home in this one.
For all of your NBA bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NBA odds page.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -109 | 223 -112o / -109u | +128 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -112 | 223 -112o / -109u | -157 |
- Cavaliers vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -2.5
- Cavaliers vs. Knicks over/under: 222.5 points
- Cavaliers vs. Knicks moneyline: Knicks -2.5, Cavaliers +2.5
- Cavaliers vs. Knicks best bet: Knicks -2.5
Spread
New York's first game was somewhat of an outlier. Still, there has been an overreaction to its double-digit road loss against a Celtics team that took the court right after their championship ring ceremony.
KAT will pull Jarrett Allen from the paint, where he excels as a rim protector, while Evan Mobley will struggle to defend Anunoby on the perimeter.
The Cavs also don't quite have the firepower to keep up with New York, especially on the road; they are missing Max Strus (and his 3-point shooting) and will have to rely on Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland for half-court scoring against a team that can nearly switch everything and has exceptional length and lateral quickness.
Moneyline
I'm off the moneyline in this game, as I feel comfortable laying 2.5 points with New York.
Over/Under
Both teams finished bottom seven in pace last season and had sub-.500 over records.
New York cleaned up some of its defensive shortcomings before its last game and finished under this line (222.5) against the high-octane Pacers despite a team shooting split of 52/44/79.
Cleveland will be much slower and put up much more defensive resistance than the Pacers, so I'll go with the under in this one.
My pick: Under 222.5
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Betting Trends to Know
- 51% of bets and 48% of the money are on the Cavaliers to cover the spread.
- 69% of bets and 69% of the money are on the over.
- 77% of bets and 76% of the money on the moneyline are on the Knicks to win.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks Start Time, Channel, Streaming
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York |
| Date: | Monday, October 28 |
| Kickoff Time: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | MSG / Streaming on YouTube TV |
Knicks vs. Cavaliers is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start time, live from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, on Monday. The game is live on MSG Network and is streaming on NBA League Pass.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks NBA Preview
Cleveland Cavaliers: Facing Their First Test
The Cavaliers have had a solid start to their 2024-25 campaign, winning their first three games by double-digits.
In that small sample size, they have registered the second-highest net rating (+20.3) and 3-point percentage (43.7%), and the highest true shooting percentage (65.4%).
Further, the Cavs have dominated the paint, holding opponents to the second-lowest points in the paint per game (37.3) while scoring the sixth-most (63.0) on the other end of the floor.
However, they have yet to be tested, as those games were against the Washington Wizards, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons, three teams that project to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Will the Cavs' hot start translate on the road against a Knicks team that looked much-improved in their last game against the Pacers?
New York Knicks: A Strong Bounce-Back
Everything that could have gone wrong for the Knicks in their first game against Boston did, as the C's tied (but should have set) the record for most 3-pointers in a single game en route to a 23-point blowout.
Luckily, the Knicks appeared to be a much more cohesive unit in its second game against Indiana, exacting their revenge on the team that sent them home in Game 7 of last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals.
There is not nearly as much depth on this team as the 2023-24 Knicks, but Miles McBride, a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate, has been nothing short of sensational thus far, alleviating some of those concerns.
Regardless, head coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't dig too deep into the bench, so depth concerns likely won't matter as long as the starters stay healthy.
