<p>We don’t have to wait long to see two of the leading <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba-futures/nba-futures-2026-9324399">NBA Championship title contenders in the betting odds</a> face off against each other.</p> <p>The New York Knicks will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, October 23, at 09:00 AEST, with plenty on offer to bettors in this matchup.</p> <p>The Knicks are entering a new era under the guidance of Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau after five seasons in charge of the team and a playoff run last year. The Cavaliers had an impressive start to their season last time, as they went on a 15-game unbeaten streak to begin it. They would end the season with 64 wins; the most in the Eastern Conference.</p> <h2>New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Betting Preview</h2> <p>The New York Knicks impressed many last season with their performances, as they went on a surprise run right through to the Eastern Conference Finals. They recorded 51 victories in the regular season before being beaten by the Indiana Pacers 4-2 in the postseason.</p> <p>Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns both managed to be efficient with their point scoring, achieving respective averages of 26.0 and 24.4 points per game. OG Anunoby had 18.0 per game, while Mikal Bridges contributed with 17.6. All four remain with the team, as does Josh Hart, leading many to feel they have a good chance this season.</p> <p>The Cleveland Cavaliers are among the main favourites to challenge OKC for the NBA Championship. They have Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley leading a balanced roster, which now includes Lonzo Ball. Improvements are needed by the team after a poor postseason run, but they can’t be ruled out.</p> <p>Darius Garland is unavailable for the first month or so of the campaign, leaving questions about whether he will be missed against the Knicks.</p> <h2>Knicks vs Cavs: Betting Predictions</h2> <p>When looking at the recent head-to-head between these two teams, a notable trend has been observed. In the last five matches, the Cavs have won the last four straight – and in most of these, they’ve been able to do so in convincing fashion…</p> <ul> <li>April 2025: Cavs 108-102 Knicks</li> <li>April 2025: Knicks 105-124 Cavs</li> <li>Feb 2025: Knicks 105-142 Cavs</li> <li>Oct 2024: Cavs 110-104 Knicks</li> <li>Mar 2024: Knicks 107-98 Cavs</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With the latest <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/basketball-us/nba/cleveland-cavaliers-at-new-york-knicks-9614130">New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting odds</a> suggesting the hosts will be comfortable winners, it may be worth looking that the game will go the other way and be in favour of the Cavs. The Cavaliers have won each of their last three games as underdogs against the Knicks, and there’s every possibility they can do it for a fourth time on Thursday.</p> <p>In terms of the points scored, we would suspect the trend of being ‘Under’ the line to continue. Each of the Knicks' last seven home games against the Cavaliers have gone under.</p>