Cleveland Cavaliers playoff chances
71% to make the playoffs.
The Cavaliers (1-1) make the playoffs in 71% of 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season. That is 54% in the top six and straight in, and 32% in the play-in. They finish about 44-38 on average. A win over the Timberwolves on Monday, October 26 would put them at 78%; a loss, 65%.
The Cavaliers, 2026-27
Next game
Home to the Timberwolves, Mon, Oct 26. The model gives them 44% to win it. Win and their playoff chance is 78%; lose and it is 65%.
The rest of the East
Pistons 98%, Celtics 88%, Hawks 86%, Raptors 78%, 76ers 74%, Knicks 66%, Hornets 66%, Magic 53%, Heat 38%, Pacers 28%. Every team: NBA playoff odds.
Each club is rated by its scoring margin this season against the schedule it played, adjusted for home court (2.2 points) and started from last season's rating, which counts for less as the season's games add up. The rest of the regular season is played 10,000 times, with each club's rating redrawn within its uncertainty every time; the two NBA Cup games not yet scheduled are played against an average club. Each conference is seeded on wins (ties are a coin flip), 7 to 10 play the play-in, and every playoff round is played out best of seven. A forecast from the scores, not the betting market.
Questions
What are the Cavaliers' chances of making the playoffs?
The Cavaliers (1-1) make the playoffs in 71% of 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season. That is 54% in the top six and straight in, and 32% in the play-in. They finish about 44-38 on average. A win over the Timberwolves on Monday, October 26 would put them at 78%; a loss, 65%.
Can the Cavaliers win the NBA title?
In 3% of simulations. They reach the NBA Finals in 7% and win a playoff round in 34%.
How much does the Cavaliers' next game matter?
Win and their playoff chance is 78%; lose and it is 65%. The model gives them a 44% chance to win it.