The Knicks and Cavaliers figure to jockey for home-court advantage throughout the season. New York struck first in teams' season opener.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was not shy about why his team fell to the New York Knicks in the season opener 119-111.

The New York Knicks have made a major decision regarding Karl-Anthony Towns' availability for Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby each had a double-double and the host New York Knicks pulled away in the 4th quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers

New York spent all of Wednesday hounding Cleveland’s ballhandlers in the backcourt. The Knicks alternated who was at the point of attack. They threw different looks. The Knicks wanted to make their opponent work for what it wanted, to be on the front foot, as opposed to reacting.

The Cavs and Knicks are expected to be two of the top contenders in the East, though neither is ready to look like it yet.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past seven seasons. The model enters the 2025-26 NBA season on a sizzling 160-118 roll on all top-rated NBA picks,

Last season, Cleveland swept the season series and finished 13 games ahead of New York. But the Knicks controlled the 2025-26 opener at Madison Square Garden for about 40 of the 48 minutes, finishing strong and holding on for a 119-111 victory on Wednesday.

Preview the Cleveland Cavaliers' NBA matchup with Brooklyn, including betting odds, tips, trends, and game information.

Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City, where the Knicks went 27-14 last season. New York is a 3.5-point favorite in the latest Celtics vs. Knicks odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 229.