The Toronto Raptors may be shell-shocked after dropping both games at home in their second-round series vs the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James and Co. toyed with the Raps in the first two games and are now in a position to take a commanding 3-0 series lead tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. The Raptors may be on a one-way ticket to Fadesville as they’re 1-10 SU and 3-8 against the spread in their last 11 trips to Cleveland (including playoffs).
- The Raptors are 7-0 SU in their last seven games after consecutive losses.
- The Raptors are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games on the road.
- The total has gone OVER in the Cavaliers' last four games.
The Cavaliers may be a one-man show but when that one man is the best basketball player on the planet, they can afford some margin of error. The Cavs have only lead for 20 of 101 minutes of game time in this series and while LeBron has been superhuman throughout the playoffs, it’s the supporting cast that has surprisingly brought their A-game. Cleveland is shooting 41 percent from three-point range in this series and getting key contributions from JR Smith and Kyle Korver. The Cavs should be heavily considered in Game 3 as they’re 14-3 SU in their last 17 games as a favorite and as noted, have been near unbeatable vs Toronto.
As for the Raptors, they can’t seem to get over the hump when facing the Cavaliers. Each roster transaction and strategy employed in the past three off-seasons have been geared towards toppling Cleveland and taking its place at the top of the Eastern Conference elite. Where Toronto has fallen short in this series is in the second half of games, as they’ve been outscored 118-92 and can’t keep LeBron James off the scoreboard. Another factor that has hindered the Raptors is being outscored 34-8 in points off turnovers through two games. It would be hard to endorse a Toronto victory based on the eye-test alone.
The total opened at 216 and the OVER could be the profitable angle. The OVER has hit five of the last six games in this matchup with an average combined score of 230.8 points per game.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
Cleveland Cavaliers opened as -4-point favorites at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total line was sitting around 217 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting on the total amount of points scored.
Odds Shark score prediction models pick a 114-105 result in favor of the Cavaliers today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.
Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Toronto Raptors will try to spoil the party on Saturday; they are 47-42-1 ATS against the betting spread this NBA season, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are 35-55-1 ATS. Toronto is 45-43-2 vs the betting total points scored; Cleveland is 44-45-2. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Cleveland vs Toronto injuries news.
This game matches up the No. 8 (Cleveland Cavaliers) and the No. 5 (Raptors) teams in the league, according to our current NBA betting Power Rankings at Odds Shark.
Statistical Matchup
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Toronto Raptors rank No. 17 in the league with 43.71 per game. That compares with Cleveland's No. 25 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Cleveland is the NBA's No. 3-ranked team at 11.86 per game, while the Toronto Raptors rate No. 5 with 11.72 per contest.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
- Toronto is 7-14-1 ATS in its last 22 games
- Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games
- Toronto is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
- Cleveland is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
- Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
- Cleveland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Toronto at Cleveland, Monday, May 7th
