- Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks
- Date: Thursday, December 25, 2025
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- Broadcast: ESPN
- Point Spread: Cleveland (+6.5)
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On Thursday, Madison Square Garden will host a clash between the New York Knicks (20-9) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-14), with Cleveland entering as 6.5-point underdogs according to betting lines. The total points are set at 239.
The Cavaliers secured a convincing 141-118 victory over the Pelicans in their most recent outing, finishing with 21 fouls while the Pelicans recorded 16. Cleveland made 11 out of 26 attempts from three-point range, whereas New Orleans shot a stellar 84% from the free throw line, making 21 of 25 attempts. The Pelicans collected 43 rebounds—13 offensive and 30 defensive—and tallied 6 blocks, alongside 26 assists and 10 steals. Defensively, Cleveland allowed the opposing team to shoot 45.7% from the field, permitting 43 successful shots out of 94 attempts. Cleveland also managed to dish out 40 assists, forcing 16 turnovers, and achieved 8 steals. In terms of rebounding, they amassed a total of 49, with 14 being offensive. Cleveland converted 9 out of 11 free throws, resulting in an 81.8% success rate. Overall, the Cavaliers shot 53.3% from the floor (56 out of 105) and hit 20 of their 49 three-point attempts.
Donovan Mitchell was a key contributor, scoring 27 points on an impressive 11 of 16 shooting from the field. He played for 30 minutes, secured 4 rebounds, and provided 4 assists, boasting a field goal percentage of 68.8%.
Cleveland enters this matchup with a season record of 17-14. They average 13.9 turnovers per game and commit approximately 21.3 fouls. As a collective, the Cavaliers are averaging 44.5 rebounds per game and have recorded 857 assists this season, ranking them 6th in the league in assists. Cleveland is making 34.8% of their three-pointers (474 of 1,361) and hitting 78.0% from the free throw line. They average 120.0 points per game, placing them 6th overall in the league with a shooting percentage of 46.3%.
Defensively, Cleveland forces 16.3 turnovers each game while averaging 21.4 fouls. They rank 25th in allowing assists, relinquishing 845 throughout the season. The Cavaliers permit an opponent shooting percentage of 46.8% (1,290 of 2,758) and concede 45.2 rebounds per game, with a 37.3% success rate for opponents’ three-point shots. They rank 20th in the NBA for points allowed per game, averaging 117.5.
In their last contest, the Knicks faced a setback, falling 115-104 against the Timberwolves. They recorded a total of 55 rebounds, including 37 defensive and 18 offensive. New York committed 19 turnovers while earning 8 steals. The Timberwolves committed 15 personal fouls, leading to 15 free throw attempts for the Knicks, who converted 11 for a 73.3% success rate. New York shot 36.7% from beyond the arc, making 11 of 30 attempts, and finished with a shooting percentage of 41.4% (41 for 99). They allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 45.2% from the field (42 out of 93) and limited Minnesota to 32.6% from three-point range (15 of 46), while shooting 69.6% at the free throw line (16 of 23). On the glass, the Knicks allowed Minnesota to secure 42 rebounds, including 10 offensive rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns played a significant role for the Knicks, scoring 40 points on 14 of 24 shooting (58.3%) and grabbing 13 rebounds in 35 minutes of play, adding 1 assist.
New York holds a record of 20-9 this season. Offensively, the Knicks excel with a field goal percentage of 47.9%, ranking 9th in the league. They have tallied 3,482 points this season, averaging 120.1 per game, while collecting 46.2 rebounds and tallying 26.9 assists per game, ranking 10th in the league. New York averages 13.7 turnovers per game while committing 20.9 personal fouls and posting a free throw success rate of 79.1%.
On defense, the Knicks are 7th in points allowed per game, giving up an average of 112.9. They force 14.3 turnovers each game and allow teams to shoot 46.0% from the field, ranking 7th in the NBA. Opponents shoot 36.5% from three-point range (422 of 1,156), and New York permits a free throw success rate of 77.4%. Additionally, they surrender 25.0 assists and 41.2 rebounds per game, ranking 9th and 5th in the league, respectively.
Who will cover the spread in tonight’s NBA face-off?
Prediction: Bet on Cleveland (+6.5)
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