Knicks Host Cavs: Second Meeting in Five Days

Cleveland Cavaliers players will return to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday evening for a second contest against the New York Knicks in just five days. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The teams met on Saturday, when New York secured a 109-97 road victory.

New York enters the game with a 6-4 record and momentum from a 117-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. That result extends the Knicks' winning streak to four games. The team has improved its offensive output since the start of the season. After averaging 104 points per game in its first four contests, New York has averaged 115 points across its last six games.

Cleveland holds a 5-6 record and faces the Knicks after dropping four of its last five games. The Cavaliers suffered a 124-112 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. This defeat leaves the team in a difficult position heading into the high-stakes conference matchup.

Historical data favors New York in this rivalry. The Knicks swept the Cavaliers in last season's playoffs, winning each game by double-digit margins. This history adds intensity to the current regular season meeting.

Betting lines list New York as a 4.5-point favorite. The over/under total for the game is set at 222.5 points. SportsLine's Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, recommends taking the Over on the total. The model projects the total points will reach 230, with the Over connecting in 61% of simulations.

The recommendation is supported by recent trends. Three of the last four meetings between these teams in New York have gone over the total. Each of the Cavaliers' last three road games has also exceeded the projected score. Additionally, the Over has hit in 56% of Cavaliers games following a loss since the start of last season. The simulation indicates 11 total players will reach double figures, with three scoring over 20 points.

SportsLine's model has maintained a strong track record since 2018. It has returned nearly $19,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks. The system has achieved five straight seasons of four-digit profit and enters Week 4 of the 2026-27 season with a 28-12 record on top-rated spread picks.