The New York Knicks began the 2026 NBA Playoffs with a victory against the Atlanta Hawks before dropping the next two games of their first-round series. They haven’t been defeated since.
New York aims for its 11th consecutive victory and first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999 when it visits Rocket Arena to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks, who are seeking their second straight series sweep, rallied from a 22-point, fourth-quarter deficit to post a 115-104 overtime victory in the opener before recording a pair of double-digit wins in regulation to push the Cavaliers to the brink of elimination.
Jalen Brunson scored 30 points and Mikal Bridges added 22 as New York cruised to a 121-108 triumph in Game 3. The Knicks are looking to improve to 5-0 all-time against Cleveland in the postseason and sweep the Cavs for a third time.
Evan Mobley recorded 24 points while Donovan Mitchell had 23 for Cleveland, which has lost consecutive home games after having won its first six this postseason. The Cavs have been swept four times in best-of-seven series in their history, most recently by the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals.
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The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs also continue Monday as the Montreal Canadiens host the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre at 8 p.m. ET for a pivotal Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final. The top-seeded Hurricanes were trounced 6-2 in the series opener following an 11-day layoff but evened the series with a 3-2 overtime win as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his second goal of the game 3:29 into the extra session. Carolina is 4-0 on the road this postseason, and Montreal is just 2-4 at home.
Monday’s MLB evening schedule features six games, including the opener of a three-game series between the Miami Marlins (25-29) and Toronto Blue Jays (25-28) at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. The Marlins are coming off a three-game sweep of the New York Mets at home, during which they allowed a total of two runs, while the Blue Jays had their four-game winning streak halted with Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Another game on the slate has the Seattle Mariners (25-29) visiting Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. to face the American League West-leading Athletics (27-26) at 9:40 p.m. ET as the division rivals begin a three-game set. The teams are meeting for the second time this season, and the Athletics won two of three at Seattle last month.
The Knicks are 2.5-point favorites against the Cavaliers in the just in consensus NBA odds. The Hurricanes are -142 favorites on the money line over the Canadiens, the Blue Jays are -162 favorites against the Marlins and the Mariners are -117 favorites against the Athletics.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Monday, May 25. All times Eastern
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NBA best bets, where to watch
Knicks at Cavaliers
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Cleveland | TV: ESPN
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 218.5 (-110) | Expert: Jarrett Allen Over 12.5 points (-105, Mike Barner)
The Knicks are the highest-scoring team in the postseason with an average of 119.2 points, while the Cavaliers are fifth at 108.8 per game. New York has averaged 122.2 points during its 10-game winning streak, the most by any team over a 10-game span in the playoffs since the 2017 Warriors. At least 219 combined points were produced in two of the first three games of this series, and the SportsLine Projection Model sees the trend continuing as the Over hits in well over 56% of its simulations. SportsLine NBA expert Mike Barner (136-95, +2259 on his last 231 NBA player prop picks) likes Jarrett Allen to score at least 13 points in Game 4, as the Cleveland center has averaged 15.7 over his last nine playoff contests.
NHL best bets, where to watch
Hurricanes at Canadiens
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Montreal | TV: TNT | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine pick — Model: Under 5.5 (+107)
The teams combined for eight goals in Game 1, and two of the last three contests at the Bell Centre had eight or more total goals scored. But six or more were scored in only two of Carolina’s first 10 playoff games and seven of Montreal’s 16 contests thus far. The SportsLine Projection Model is leaning toward Game 3 being a low-scoring affair, as its simulations have the Under hitting 50% of the time.
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MLB best bets, where to watch
Marlins at Blue Jays
Time: 7:07 p.m. | Location: Toronto | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 7.5 (-111) | Expert: Blue Jays ML (-160, Adam Thompson)
After a string of nine consecutive games in which at least nine total runs were scored, the Marlins played three straight against the Mets in which no more than five runs were produced. Four of the Blue Jays’ last five contests saw fewer than eight runs scored. The SportsLine Projection Model doesn’t believe the teams will have much difficulty scoring in the series opener, as the Over hits in more than 66% of its simulations. SportsLine expert Adam Thompson is backing Toronto to win behind right-hander Trey Yesavage, who has posted a 1.07 ERA over his first five starts this season.
Mariners at Athletics
Time: 9:40 p.m. | Location: West Sacramento, Calif. | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Athletics +1.5 (-162) | Expert: Luis Castillo Under 4.5 strikeouts (-137, Angelo Magliocca)
The Athletics are 2-1 against the Mariners this season, and their loss was a one-run decision. The Mariners have lost three of their last five contests, with one of their victories coming by a single run. The SportsLine Projection Model believes the Athletics will at least keep it close in the series opener as its simulations have them covering the run line 65% of the time. Seattle righty Luis Castillo’s last appearance was as a reliever, as he struggled as a member of the team’s starting rotation, and he’ll likely have a short leash on Monday. With that in mind, SportsLine expert Angelo Magliocca doesn’t see him recording more than four strikeouts against the Athletics.
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