New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/25/2026

Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Monday, May 25, 2026

Venue:  Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Knicks -2.5, Cavaliers +2.5; Over/Under:  217.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Knicks -2.5, Cavaliers +2.5; Over/Under:  217.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Knicks -2.5, Cavaliers +2.5; Over/Under:  217.5 points

New York Knicks:  53-29 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)

Cleveland Cavaliers:  52-30 (2nd place, Central Division)

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New York Knicks:  10-0 last 10

Cleveland Cavaliers:  4-6 last 10

The Knicks are entering the playoffs with a 53-29 record overall this season and they were 22-19 in their road games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 10 game winning streak with wins coming against the Atlanta Hawks 3 times in a row, the Philadelphia 76ers 4 times in a row, and the Cleveland Cavaliers 3 times in a row. Jalen Brunson led the team in points in that game with 30 while Mikal Bridges was next on the team with 22 points. Karl-Anthony Towns led the team in assists in that game with 7 while Josh Hart led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 55.8% from the field, 39.3% from 3-point range, and 88.9% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 116.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 110.1 PPG against them. The Knicks have an ATS record of 54-42 this season and their O/U record is 45-51.

The Cavaliers are entering the playoffs with a 52-30 record overall this season and they were 27-14 in their home games where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 3 game losing streak with losses coming against the New York Knicks 3 times in a row. Evan Mobley led the team in points in that game with 24 while Donovan Mitchell was next on the team with 23 points. Max Strus led the team in assists in that game with 6 while Jarrett Allen and Max Strus each led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 50% from the field, 29.3% from 3-point range, and 63.2% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 119.5 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 115.4 PPG against them. The Cavaliers have an ATS record of 40-59 this season and their O/U record is 51-48.

The current betting odds have the Cavaliers listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Knicks have looked good in their games this season with their 53-29 record overall which had them right near the top of the East. They have been a good road team too with their 22-19 road record this year. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have looked good in their games this season with their 52-30 record overall which had them in the top half of the East. They have looked great on their home court too with their 27-14 home record this season. This is game 4 of a 7-game series between the 3rd seeded Knicks and the 4th seeded Cavaliers from the East for the Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs. The Knicks are entering this game with a 3-0 series lead after winning game 3 by a score of 121-108. The Cavaliers haven't looked good lately and they have had a lot of trouble in the playoffs so far. They needed 7 games to beat the Raptors in the 1st round and needed 7 games to beat the Pistons in the last round. They looked really good in game 1 of this series and it looked like they were going to give the Knicks a run for their money in this series, but they blew a 20 points lead in that game, losing it in OT, and it has been all downhill for the Cavaliers since then. They looked terrible in the next 2 games, losing both by double digits, and it feels like this series is over with the home loss under their belt now. The Knicks have been rolling lately and have a ton of momentum on their side with 10 wins in a row, but they aren't just going to roll into the Finals with 2 sweeps in a row. The Knicks are due for a loss with how good they have been lately and this is a game that the Cavaliers are going to throw everything they have at the Knicks to avoid getting eliminated on their home court. The Knicks are in a great position now too, so they don't have to bring their best effort to end this one on the road. Look for the Cavaliers to have some pride and avoid getting swept at home here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Cavaliers to cover the spread in this game. 

Knicks Cavaliers Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Monday, May 25, 2026 (8:00 pm ET start time) is Cavaliers 120 Knicks 114.

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New York Knicks: 19-7 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 3 or more consecutive games. 10-3 ATS in all playoff games. 14-6 ATS when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 60% to 70%). 8-2 OVER when attempting to close out a playoff series.

Cleveland Cavaliers: 8-17 ATS against Atlantic division opponents. 14-25 ATS versus good 3 point shooting teams - making 36% of their attempts or more. 15-28 ATS versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting 24 free throws/game or less. 7-3 OVER when the total is 210 to 219.5.

New York Knicks:  None.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  None.

“Our guys were locked in from the beginning of the game and it showed from the first few minutes of the game. We got a lot of great contributions. I thought throughout the whole game we did a good job trying to play fast. We don’t want to go against their set defense all the time, so we’ve got to keep trying to play fast. And then our guys did a better job in the second half trying to defend without fouling.” - Mike Brown after his team’s win against the Cavaliers in the 3rd game of this series on Saturday. 

“I think their physicality and energy, we couldn’t get to that level to combat it. They’re on a hell of a run. We haven’t been able to stop the momentum. We had one chance in that first game I thought to stop it, but they haven’t been able to halt their momentum.” - Kenny Atkinson after his team’s loss against the Knicks in game 3 of this series on Saturday. 

PG Jalen Brunson

SG Josh Hart

SF Mikal Bridges

PF OG Anunoby

C Karl-Anthony Towns

PG James Harden

SG Donovan Mitchell

SF Dean Wade

PF Evan Mobley

C Jarrett Allen

PPG: Jalen Brunson (26)

APG: Jalen Brunson (6.8)

Reb/G: Karl-Anthony Towns (11.9)

PPG: Donovan Mitchell (27.9)

APG: James Harden (7.7)

Reb/G: Evan Mobley (9)

Coaches:

New York Knicks: Mike Brown (1st season)

Cleveland Cavaliers: Kenny Atkinson (2nd season)