Thunder vs. Cavaliers prediction, odds, line, time: 2026 NBA picks for Sunday, Feb. 22

A cross-conference showdown gets the Sunday NBA schedule underway as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could be an NBA Finals preview. OKC leads the West at 43-14, while Cleveland is third in the East at 36-21 as it rides a seven-game win streak. The Thunder, meanwhile, have dealt with some recent injuries and have cooled off since their blistering start, going 6-6 in their last dozen games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) and Jalen Williams (hamstring) remain out for OKC.

Tipoff from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City is at 1 p.m. ET. Cleveland is a 4.5-point favorite in the latest Thunder vs. Cavaliers odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 226.5. This is just the second time OKC is an underdog this season. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Thunder picks, check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model exited the NBA All-Star break on a sizzling 38-17 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.    

Now, the model has simulated Thunder vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Cavs vs. Thunder:

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Top Thunder vs. Cavaliers predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Cavaliers vs. Thunder, SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (226.5). The Thunder, who have gone Under in two straight games, simply don’t have the same kind of offensive upside when Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams are out, and the model projects that Chet Holmgren will be the only player to put up more than 20 points for OKC. 

The Cavs, meanwhile, have slightly trended to the Under this season with 53% of their games hitting that side of the total. The model projects 224 points as the Under hits 55.5% of the time on Sunday.

How to make Cavaliers vs. Thunder picks

The model has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in over 50% of simulations. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Thunder vs. Cavaliers, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.