Cleveland Cavaliers 2026 Season Preview, Betting Odds

Finishing atop the Eastern Conference with the second-best winning percentage in franchise history didn't equate to much once the NBA playoffs got underway for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who once again were sent home early in the second round in a disappointing five-game series. Expectations were sky high following a 64-win campaign, but Cleveland's inability to carry over that momentum when it mattered most has left many wondering if this current group has what it takes to reach the next level of success.

This 2025-26 season preview analyzes all of the Cavaliers' key betting odds as the team attempts to defy the premise that they may have already peaked.

(Betting odds will be updated up until the start of the regular season. Be sure to check in regularly for any changes to numbers and picks)

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Draft

Selected Tyrese Proctor (Duke) No. 49 overall
Selected Saliou Niang (Italy) No. 58 overall

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 Re-Signings

Sam Merrill agrees to four-year, $38-million contract

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 Additions

Lonzo Ball acquired via trade with Chicago Bulls
Thomas Bryant agrees to one-year contract
Larry Nance Jr. agrees to one-year contract

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 Departures

Ty Jerome agrees to three-year, $28-million contract with Memphis Grizzlies
Isaac Okoro departs via trade with Chicago Bulls

Cleveland Cavaliers 2026 NBA Championship, Eastern Conference, Central Division Betting Odds

Team	NBA Finals Odds	Eastern Conference Odds	Central Division Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers	+650	+210	-330

Best Bet: Cleveland Cavaliers To Win Eastern Conference Championship, +210

You can certainly make the argument that injuries have derailed Cleveland's last two postseason runs, with Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De'Andre Hunter all missing time during the conference semifinals versus the Indiana Pacers. This also rang true the year prior when the Cavaliers were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, so who knows how the team would have performed if it had all of its key cogs healthy and available. No one can ever account for who will be hurt and when, but taking the approach that Cleveland's luck couldn't get any worse is why oddsmakers have it as the favorite to get out of the East.

The Cavaliers' biggest competition last season was the Celtics, who finished just three games behind them in the standings. No one else came close, with the New York Knicks ending up a distant third with a 13-game differential. Boston has waved the white flag on the heels of Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles, and considering Cleveland swept the season series with New York in rather convincing fashion, along with Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton being out for the year, the list of potential candidates who could pose a threat to the Cavaliers appears to be quite limited at this very moment.

That's not to say a new challenger like the Orlando Magic or Detroit Pistons won't emerge, and perhaps New York can gets its own act together and make Cleveland sweat a little head to head. Finding a better four-man core than Mobley, Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen isn't easy, and they're all locked in to their current deals through at least 2027-28, and some even longer than that. The odds are what they are for a reason, because with multiple All-Stars, a reigning Coach of the Year, and a No. 1-ranked offense, perhaps injuries really are the only thing holding this group back.

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025-26 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Team	Win Total	OVER	UNDER	Odds To Make Playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers	56.5	+100	-122	-50000

Best Bet: OVER 56.5 Wins, +100

This number being set at just 56.5 victories considering the success the Cavaliers just experienced is rather surprising, especially when factoring in the aforementioned declines of some of the East's now former powerhouses. Prior to last season, in 2023-24, the Celtics were the only team to win at least 64 games (64-18), which they then followed up by winning 61 the next year. If you're winning that many times, barring your depth chart undergoing a dramatic overhaul, chances are you're going to hover around that mark yet again bringing a near identical roster back.

Cleveland improved its win total year over year by 16 games, and for an UNDER to be notched here, it would have to see a drop by nearly double digits. That's not going to happen with the East being in worse shape by leaps and bounds than it was.

Claim Offer

Featured Offer

Bet $5 Get $200 + 3 months NBA Pass

Claim Offer

Terms and Conditions

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).

21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 10/12/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025-26 NBA Awards Odds

Name	MVP	Defensive	Sixth Man	Clutch	Finals MVP	Coach
Donovan Mitchell	+10000			+2500	+850
Evan Mobley	+40000	+2500		+30000	+3000
Darius Garland	+100000			+2500	+5000
De'Andre Hunter			+1000	+30000
Jarrett Allen					+12500
Kenny Atkinson						+10000

Best Bet: De'Andre Hunter for NBA Sixth Man of the year, +1000

De'Andre Hunter finished fourth in the Sixth Man of the Year race with a pair of first-place votes, and the individuals that were in front of him have giant question marks concerning their immediate futures. Only Lou Williams (2018, 2019) and Kevin McHale (1984, 1985) have ever repeated, which could remove Payton Pritchard (who's now slated to start anyway) from the conversation, a series of off-court issues could have Malik Beasley out of the Association entirely, and Hunter's former teammate Ty Jerome is now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

After coming over in a trade deadline deal with the Atlanta Hawks, Hunter went on to average 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds on 48.5-percent shooting in 27 appearances for Cleveland, all of which were stronger numbers than what Pritchard registered in Boston. Max Strus is slotted in as the starting small forward once again, but it's clear Hunter is the superior talent, so if Atkinson seeks to make the only real adjustment to his lineup that he can outside of injuries, that could greatly affect the odds here. Should Hunter remain the first player coming off the pine, however, then the Cavaliers could be on the verge of having their first-ever Sixth Man of the Year winner should his output hold firm.