The Cleveland Cavaliers will stay in New York, this time to face the Brooklyn Nets on a Friday night. Both teams lost their openers, with the Cavs taking a tough defeat to the New York Knicks in a very hostile Madison Square Garden. The Nets also lost on the road, but to a Charlotte Hornets team that figures to finish the season as one of the worst in the NBA. A game against 2024’s best team in the East is unlikely to result in Brooklyn’s first win.

The Cavaliers entered their opener without starting guard Darius Garland and forward De’Andre Hunter, both of whom proved to hurt the team badly. Without a secondary ball handler next to Donovan Mitchell, the offense struggled to find consistent facilitation, suffering through a litany of turnovers in the first quarter. Things cleaned up as the game went on, but it was too little, too late against a Knicks team that got scoring from across its lineup. The Nets are a much softer opponent, giving Cleveland a good opportunity to get back on track.

This season is not about winning for Brooklyn. The team had four first-round picks last June, emphasizing the complete rebuild that the Nets are going through at the moment. Three of those picks, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, and Egor Demin, are all expected to take on a heavy workload early in the season, adding some excitement to a team that would be lucky to win 25 games this season. Growth from the team’s young players is the name of the game for the Nets, even against a juggernaut of an opponent like the Cavs.

Cavaliers -12.5 (-101)Nets +12.5 (-104)Over 229.5 (-105)Under 229.5 (-105)

Note: The above data was collected on Oct. 24, 2025, and may have changed since writing.

Cavaliers vs Nets Betting TrendsThe Cavaliers did not cover in their opener.The Cavaliers were 29-16 ATS when playing on the road in 2024.The over cashed in Cleveland’s game against the Knicks.The Nets failed to cover against the Hornets.The Nets were 17-24 ATS at home in 2024.The over cashed in Brooklyn’s season opener.Cavaliers vs Nets Injury ReportsDarius Garland, G – Out.De’Andre Hunter, SF – Out.Max Strus, SF – Out.Drake Powell, SG – Out.Danny Wolf, F – Out.Cavaliers vs Nets Prediction and Pick

Peter Tran of PickDawgz writes, “The Cavaliers are still shorthanded with Darius Garland ruled out again, and they are keeping an eye on De’Andre Hunter, who remains with a questionable tag, while the Nets are still missing Haywood Highsmith and Danny Wolf. The Cavaliers will be disappointed with the result in their season opener, but now they’re up against a much more beatable opponent in the Nets, who are coming off a beatdown at the hands of the lowly Hornets.

It’s not surprising at all to see the Cavaliers open as heavy road favorites in this matchup, but I still don’t think it’s too high, especially with the Cavaliers coming off a bad loss. I’m sure the Cavaliers come out swinging in this one and make it look easy on their way to their first win of the season against this young Nets squad in a rebuild season.”