Cavaliers favored at home against undefeated Timberwolves in Monday night game

The 2026-27 NBA season is in its second week, with the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Arena on Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The matchup pits a home team that has won one of its first two games against a visiting squad that is currently undefeated.

Cleveland is listed as a 5.5-point favorite in the current betting lines. The over/under for the game is set at 231.5 points. The Cavaliers finished the previous season as the second-best team in the Central Division with a 52-30 record. They have started the current campaign with a 1-1 record, having defeated the Brooklyn Nets 125-121 on Saturday.

Minnesota enters the game with a 3-0 record. The Timberwolves finished last season with a 49-33 record, placing third in the Northwest Division. They are 2-0 on the road this season. Their most recent contest was a 117-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Anthony Edwards is listed as questionable for the game due to knee injury management.

A projection model from SportsLine simulated the matchup 10,000 times to generate a prediction. The model projects a combined total of 236 points. This figure suggests the Over will hit in 56% of the simulations. The model has returned nearly $19,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks since 2018.

The model notes that the Over has hit in each of the last four head-to-head meetings between these two teams. It has also hit in five of Minnesota's last eight games and in seven of Cleveland's last ten. The simulation indicates that one side of the spread hits over 60% of the time, though the specific side is part of the paid recommendation.

Anthony Edwards has averaged 28.7 points, five rebounds, 3.3 assists, and two steals in 31.3 minutes across three starts this season. Six Minnesota players average at least 12 points. Donovan Mitchell leads Cleveland's offense, averaging 27 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and one block in 35.5 minutes over two games.

The model's recent form includes a 26-10 record on top-rated spread picks dating back to the previous season. The simulation process involves running every possession 10,000 times to determine the likely outcome. The Cavaliers have won one of their first two home games this season.