Cavaliers open season at 76ers, who beat Knicks in opener
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The gist
The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night as 3.5-point underdogs.
Philadelphia opened with a 106-100 win over the defending champion Knicks.
Background
The Cavaliers and 76ers meet in the first of two NBA games on Thursday's schedule. Philadelphia is coming off a 106-100 season-opening win over the defending champion New York Knicks, a game in which LeBron James made his 76ers debut; he is set to play his first regular-season home game for the team. Cleveland went 52-30 last season before being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by New York, and enters this game with no established statistical profile yet this season. Last year the 76ers averaged 115.9 points per game, 0.5 more than the Cavaliers conceded (115.4), while Cleveland scored 119.5 per game, 3.4 more than the 116.1 Philadelphia allowed.
How it unfolded
- Oct 20, 2026The 76ers beat the defending champion New York Knicks 106-100 in their season opener, holding New York to 37.2 percent shooting; LeBron James made his team debut.
- Oct 22, 2026Cleveland (0-0) visits Philadelphia (1-0) at Xfinity Mobile Arena at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Oct 22, 2026Odds list Philadelphia as a 3.5-point favorite, with the 76ers moneyline at -149/-154/-148, Cleveland at +126/+125/+124 and a total of 235.5.
- Oct 22, 2026Injury reports: 76ers' Dominick Barlow (back), Ariel Hukporti (Achilles, out for season) and Tacko Fall (hip) are out, with Dean Wade questionable (ankle); Cavaliers' Nae'Qwan Tomlin (back) and Khalifa Diop (injury management) are out, with Jarrett Allen questionable (illness).
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Covers' Quinn Allen picks the 76ers moneyline, expecting Philadelphia to keep rolling after its win over New York.
- Caution
- CBS Sports notes the Cavs won all four regular-season matchups a year ago, even with Philadelphia a 3.5-point favorite.
Still unverified
Jarrett Allen is listed as day-to-day by one source and questionable (illness) by another; Dean Wade is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.