donovan-mitchell.jpg
Imagn Images

The NBA is back with another loaded Christmas Day slate, with the five-game schedule beginning at 12 p.m. ET with an Eastern Conference clash between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. The Cavs have taken a notable step back after finishing 2024-25 with the best record in the Eastern Conference. They enter Christmas with a 17-14 record, good for seventh in the East. They lost just 18 games total last season. As for the Knicks, they are 20-9, good for second in the conference behind only the surging Detroit Pistons. New York has won seven of its last 10 games. These teams met once this season, way back in the early stages of the campaign, with the Knicks winning that one 119-111 on Oct. 22.

Donovan Mitchell leads the way for the Cavs as he's averaging 30.6 points per game along with 5.4 assists per contests. Jalen Brunson is the go-to-guy once again for the Knicks, scoring 29.1 points per game and dishing out 6.6 assists per contest. One of these star guards is a key part of our Christmas Day NBA same-game parlay for Cavaliers-Knicks, with odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook and picks from the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NBA game 10,000 times.

Cavaliers vs. Knicks NBA same-game parlay picks

  • Donovan Mitchell Under 35.5 points + assists
  • Knicks -6
  • Over 239.5

Donovan Mitchell Under 35.5 points + assists

Mitchell is enjoying a great season, even by his standards, averaging 36 total points + assists per game. However, the SportsLine model doesn't expect him to have a massive outing on Christmas, projecting the star guard to have 31.3 points + assists in New York on Thursday. 

Knicks -6

The Knicks may be entering Christmas coming off a loss, but they've been one of the top teams in the East and the NBA as a whole this year, while Cleveland has essentially been just a hair better than .500 this year. The Knicks have been especially good in New York, with a 14-2 home record this year. The model has the Knicks winning outright in the vast majority of simulations, and they cover in 62% of sims as well.

Over 239.5

These teams combined for 230 points in their last meeting back in October, but they're two of the best scoring teams in the league this year. New York scores the fifth-most points per game at 120.1, while the Cavs are right behind at sixth with 120.0 per contest. The model projects a 125-115 final score for Thursday, and the Over hits in more than 50% of model simulations. For a full game forecast and more player prop picks, check out the SportsLine game forecast for Cavaliers-Knicks.

Responsible gaming

It's important for bettors to practice responsible gaming whenever placing wagers, and sportsbooks offer various ways to help, such as gaming alerts, gaming limits, self-exclusion measures and live chat features. Sportsbooks also share contact information for local and national helplines like 1-800-GAMBLER, which bettors can call or text 24/7.