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The New York Knicks have had plenty of time to think about getting back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and now they face their final hurdle when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, and New York last played nine days ago, when it finished a sweep of the 76ers. Meanwhile, both series for Cleveland have gone seven games, and they just finished off the top-seeded Pistons on Sunday. The Knicks are 7.5-point favorites in the latest Cavaliers vs. Knicks odds from FanDuel.

The Knicks are expecting OG Anunoby to return after he missed the final two games of the semifinals with a hamstring injury, and New York otherwise has a clean bill of health. For the Cavs, Larry Nance Jr. is questionable with an illness, but there are no notable injuries.

We have scoured the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook and consulted the SportsLine Projection Model to put together a same-game parlay for Game 1 between the Cavaliers and Knicks. The model simulates every game 10,000 times and entered the conference finals of the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 26-10 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

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Cavaliers vs. Knicks Game 1 same-game parlay picks

  • Knicks -6.5
  • OG Anunoby Over 17.5 points + assists
  • Donovan Mitchell Over 8.5 rebounds + assists

Same-game parlay odds: +534

Knicks -6.5

New York has been dominant throughout these playoffs, and they'll certainly welcome Anunoby back. He is averaging 21.4 points in the postseason, and New York is outscoring the opposition by 20 points per 100 possessions with him on the court. The Knicks are 51-42 against the spread this season, including 30-15 ATS at home. They are plus-194 in points differential over their 10 playoff games. The SportsLine model has New York covering the spread in 58% of its simulations.   

OG Anunoby Over 17.5 points + assists

Anunoby is a critical piece to what the Knicks are trying to do, on both ends of the court. He led the team in scoring three times in the opening round's six games and scored 24 in his last game against Philly. Anunoby averaged 16.7 points and 2.2 assists in the regular season and is scoring 21.4 and averaging 1.2 assists in the playoffs. He could easily top this number in points alone, so if he's not limited this should be a strong play. The SportsLine props model projects him for 19.4 points + assists.

Donovan Mitchell Over 8.5 rebounds + assists

Mitchell hasn't been distributing the ball as much in these playoffs, but he had six rebounds and eight assists (to go with 26 points) in the clincher against Detroit. He averaged 4.5 rebounds and 5.7 helpers in the regular season and is averaging exactly 8.5 rebounds + assists in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The emotions will be ratcheted up in the conference finals, and the SportsLine model likes Mitchell for 9.3 rebounds + assists in Game 1.