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For the fifth time ever, the Knicks and Cavaliers will meet in the postseason as they square off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals from Madison Square Garden tonight with an 8 ET tip. Here come all the celebrities. New York is 4-0 in the previous four series (12-2 in games) and a solid favorite to reach its first NBA Finals since 1999.

The clubs last met in the 2023 first round, and New York won in five. This marks the only playoff meeting between them outside of Round 1. The Knicks also took the 2025-26 regular-season series 2-1 with the home team winning all three games. They are -265 on the series line with the Cavs at +215 – New York is taking 58% of tickets and 59% of money at DraftKings. The Over/Under is 5.5 total games and I lean Over at -150.

Knicks in five is the +320 leader, but I believe it goes at least six (if not seven), and New York in seven at +330 would be my early pick – the Cavs, though, improved to 2-0 in Game 7's in these playoffs with Sunday's shocking 125-94 blowout win at top-seeded Detroit. I'm quite sure the Knicks players were rooting for that so they could get home-court advantage the rest of the East playoffs. BetMGM is very exposed on New York winning the East, as it has taken the highest handle to win it at 27.6% and that's going back months. Cleveland is at only 9.5%.

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The Cavs became the third team in NBA history to win a road Game 7 by at least 30 points and has now won six straight Game 7's, so keep that in mind. The Cavs are the first team since the 2020 Nuggets to win its first two series of a postseason in seven games. It was only the fourth series win in team history when trailing by at least two games. The team has won back-to-back road playoff games (averaging 121.1 PPG) after starting 0-5 away (100.2 PPG).

The Cavaliers are in the East Finals for the first time since 2018, and the first time since 1992 without LeBron James. They have never made the Finals without LeBron. The odds to win the East are, as you would expect, the same as the series line entering Game 1.

New York native Donovan Mitchell was stellar on Sunday in Detroit with 26 points, six rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers and is in the conference finals for the first time in his career. To no surprise, Mitchell is the +320 second favorite for Eastern Conference Finals MVP behind Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson (-170).

Mitchell's career playoff scoring average of 27.8 points is seventh-best in league history. He averages 32.3 PPG in Game 1's, the third-best mark in league history. He has scored at least 30 in nine of his past 10 Game 1's and his points total is set at Over/Under 26.5 here. If Mitchell goes off and the Cavs pull the upset, he surely would take over as the East Finals MVP favorite. 

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The Knicks are making back-to-back East Finals appearances for the first time since 1999-2000 and face a team other than Chicago in this round for the first time since 1993. New York enters on a seven-game winning streak, the longest in team playoff history. Its point differential of +194 is the largest in the first 10 games of a postseason in league history. The Knicks are one of five teams ever with three wins by at least 30 points in the playoffs, and three of the past four won it all.

Brunson already has set a Knicks career record with 38 playoff games of at least 20 points and five assists and is only the eighth player in history to average at least 27 points, six assists and shoot a minimum of 40% from 3-point range in the first 10 games of a postseason. Brunson's 24 playoff games with at least 30 points since joining the Knicks in 2022-23 is second-most in the league behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 26. Brunson, set at O/U 27.5 points tonight, is the -115 favorite to lead this series in points, just ahead of Mitchell (-110).

To average at least 30 points in the series, Brunson is +400 and Mitchell +425. That's not likely, but for 25 points, Brunson is -230 and Mitchell -220.

After those two, the next favorites for East Finals MVP are Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns and Cavs guard James Harden, both at +1200 – with no one else below +3500. The New York offense really started humming this postseason when the team started largely running it through Towns at the top of the key. He is also the -400 favorite to lead this series in rebounds.

Harden makes his first conference finals appearance since 2018 with Houston despite only nine points in Sunday's Game 7, his fewest points in a game this season.

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These conference MVP awards have only been around since 2022. The Larry Bird Trophy is awarded to the MVP from the East and the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy for the West. Makes sense. No player has ever won one twice. Needless to say, it has only gone to a player who was on a team that advanced to the NBA Finals. Indiana's Pascal Siakam was the 2025 East winner.

For a Game 1/series double, New York is -150, and that's what I'll likely play. The Cavs, who are +500 for that double, might be gassed after 14 total playoff games already. The Knicks are well-rested and will get back OG Anunoby (+3500 for East MVP) from injury tonight.

Anunoby suffered a mild right hamstring strain late in Game 2 of Round 2 vs. Philly and missed the final two. At the time of his injury, he was averaging 21.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks in the playoffs, and New York was outscoring the opposition by 20 points per 100 possessions with Anunoby on the court. He'll surely guard Mitchell plenty.

The best value for East Finals MVP is clearly Towns at +1200 as he has looked like a much different and better player of late running that offense. A couple of triple-doubles (his assists are way up) and a Knicks series win, and we cash. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter.