Feb. 19, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets (15-38) and Cleveland Cavaliers (34-21) meet Thursday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Nets vs. Cavaliers odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Cavaliers lead 1-0, with 131-124 road win Oct. 24, while Nets covered as 11.5-point underdogs as the Over (230.5) cashed.

Brooklyn lost 115-110 to the visiting Indiana Pacers prior to the All-Star break, failing as a 6.5-point favorite as the Over (215.5) cashed. G Nolan Traore led the way with 20 points and 8 assists, while C Day’Ron Sharpe was good for 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.

The Nets won 2 of the final 3 games before the break, while going 2-1 against the spread (ATS). The Over is 5-0 in the past 5 games, too. Brooklyn is still just 3-11 straight up in the past 14 games, but a respectable 7-6 ATS in the previous 13 outings.

Cleveland spanked Washington 138-113 as a 17.5-point favorite on Feb. 11 as the Over (239.5) cashed prior to the break. F Sam Merrill scored 32 points, G Donovan Mitchell dropped 30 points, while G James Harden had 13 points and 11 assists.

The Cavs streaked into the break with 5 straight wins, while going 4-1 ATS. Cleveland is 7-2 ATS in the previous 9 outings, too, while the Over has a 4-2 edge in the past 6 contests.

Watch the NBA on Fubo!Nets at Cavaliers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:04 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Nets +675 (bet $100 to win $675) | Cavaliers -1100 (bet $1,100 to win $100)Against the spread: Nets +16.5 (-115) | Cavaliers -16.5 (-105)Over/Under (O/U): 230.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)Nets at Cavaliers key injuries

Nets

C Nic Claxton (ankle) out

Cavaliers

F Max Strus (foot) outG Nae’Qwan Tomlin (calf) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Nets at Cavaliers picks and predictionsPrediction

Cavaliers 125, Nets 112

AVOID.

The Cavaliers (-1100) will set you back 11 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk for not nearly enough reward. In other words, a $100 winning bet would return a profit of just $9.09.

There is never a reason to make sure a ludicrous bet, even if you were to toss it into a multi-leg parlay. Look to the spread instead.

The NETS +16.5 (-115) are worth a look catching double digits in this road game.

While the Cavs are 4-1 ATS in the past 5 games prior to the break, and 7-2 ATS in the previous 9 outings, Cleveland is 2-11 ATS in 13 games as a double-digit favorite this season.

The Nets covered 2 of the final 3 games before the break, Brooklyn is a respectable 4-5-1 ATS in the past 10 tries as a double-digit dog, and it covered in the first meeting against Cleveland as an 11.5-point underdog.

The OVER 230.5 (-105) is a decent play as the teams emerge rested after the All-Star break.

The Over cashed for Cleveland in the final 5 games prior to the break, and the total has gone high at a 10-4 clip in the previous 14 outings.

The Over is 4-2 in the past 6 games for Brooklyn, too, and we had a combined 255 points in the first meeting, well Over (230.5) the total.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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