The Cleveland Cavaliers will travel across the border to take on the Toronto Raptors in a Monday night NBA matchup at Scotiabank Arena. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Cavaliers-Raptors prediction and pick, laid out below.
Cleveland has gone 13-7 this season and won five of six, putting them in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs have built on their momentum from a dominant offseason and are primed to make a deep run in the playoffs. J.B. Bickerstaff has enjoyed his best run as a head coach in Cleveland.
Toronto has been up and down a bit this season, going 10-9, which puts them in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Every time it seems that Toronto is set to go on a run, a mini-losing streak thwarts any momentum, with injuries playing a key role. Last time out, Toronto snapped a two-game losing streak with a 105-100 victory over Dallas.
Here are the Cavaliers-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Raptors Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +3 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -3 (-110)
Over: 216 (-110)
Under: 216 (-110)
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Donovan Mitchell has proved himself worth the haul that Cleveland surrendered, leading the team with 30.1 points and 1.5 steals while adding 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Darius Garland, whom the team managed to keep through the Mitchell sweepstakes, is second with 23.3 points and leads the team with 7.9 assists per game. Evan Mobley has built off his strong rookie season to average 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Mobley leads the team with 1.4 blocks per game. Jarrett Allen rounds out the Cavs' four All-Star-caliber players, but he's unfortunately out for this contest along with Kevin Love, Lamar Stevens and others. The good news is Caris LeVert is probable.
Cleveland has shot 48.0 percent from the field, which ranks eighth in the league. From behind the arc, Cleveland has shot 39.1 percent, which ranks third. Cleveland's offense has put up 114.2 points per game, which ranks 12th in the league. The defense has been stifling, holding opponents to 107.4 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Pascal Siakam, who is questionable for this matchup, leads the team with 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. Siakam has only played in nine of the team's 19 games, missing time with an adductor issue. He could very well make his return to the lineup Monday, which would be a huge boost.
Fred VanVleet has shot the ball well, draining 3-pointers at a 37.2 percent rate. VanVleet ranks second on the team with 19.1 points and 6.8 assists per game. O.G. Anunoby leads the team with 2.4 steals per game, all while ranking third with 18.9 points per game. Anunoby has shot 46.6 percent from the field. Gary Trent Jr. is fourth with 16.3 points and 1.6 steals per game. Scottie Barnes is questionable for this matchup, but has put up 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Chris Boucher, the team's main weapon off the bench, has put up 12.9 points and 9 rebounds per game. The team has missed Precious Achiuwa, who is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Otto Porter Jr. is also out.
Toronto doesn't turn the ball over much, ranking second with 12.9 turnovers. The team has averaged 111.4 points per game, which ranks 19th in the league. The defense has been strong, with Toronto leading the league with 10.5 steals per game. Opponents have averaged 109.6 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league.
Final Cavaliers-Raptors Prediction & Pick
Two underwhelming offenses and strong defenses are working to keep the total under. Even if Pascal Siakam returns, go with Cleveland to cover.
Final Cavaliers-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Cleveland +3 (-110), under 216 (-110)
Follow Us
Subscribe