Eastern Conference playoff contenders face off on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena as the Toronto Raptors aim to stop a three-game home losing streak when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Toronto is 40-32 overall and 17-16 at home, with Cleveland entering at 18-18 in road games and 41-31 for the full season. Malachi Flynn (hamstring) is out for Toronto, with OG Anunoby (finger) and Gary Trent Jr. (foot) listed as questionable. Jarrett Allen (finger), Rajon Rondo (ankle) and Dean Wade (knee) are out for Cleveland.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Toronto as a five-point home favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the Over-Under, is 215 in the latest Cavaliers vs. Raptors odds. Before you make any NBA predictions with the Cavaliers vs. Raptors match-up, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 22 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 79-49 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavs vs. Raptors. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Raptors vs. Cavs:
- Cavaliers vs. Raptors spread: Raptors -5
- Cavaliers vs. Raptors over-under: 215 points
- Cavaliers vs. Raptors money line: Raptors -200, Cavaliers +170
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 23-17-3 against the spread in conference games
- TOR: The Raptors are 24-20 against the spread in conference games
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Cleveland is keyed by a tremendous defense, and the Cavaliers have an advantageous matchup against the Raptors. The Cavaliers boast a top-five defense in the NBA, allowing 107.4 points per 100 possessions. Cleveland is No. 7 in the league in field goal percentage allowed at 45.0 percent, and the Cavaliers are holding opponents to 51.2 percent shooting on two-point attempts. Cleveland leads the NBA in free throw prevention, yielding only 18.7 attempts per game, and the Cavaliers are in the top 10 of the league in assists allowed (23.8 per game) and second-chance points allowed (12.3 per game).
Toronto ranks No. 26 in the NBA in field goal percentage and No. 28 in two-point percentage. The Raptors are also No. 24 in the league in free throw accuracy and just No. 28 in the NBA in assists per game. Toronto is also vulnerable on the defensive glass, landing in the bottom third of the league in defensive rebound rate and second-chance points allowed.
Why the Raptors can cover
Toronto's defense is strong, giving up only 110.2 points per 100 possessions for the season. The Raptors lean heavily on havoc creation, forcing 15.7 turnovers per game to rank No. 2 in the NBA. Toronto is No. 3 in the league in steals, averaging 8.9 per game, and the Raptors are above-average in free-throw prevention, allowing only 21.4 attempts per game. Toronto is also in the top 10 of the NBA in fast-break points allowed (11.5 per game) and points allowed in the paint (45.2 per game).
Cleveland is below-average overall on offense, and the Cavaliers are second-worst in the NBA in ball security. On the other end, the Raptors are fantastic in using athleticism to create opportunities. Toronto is No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rebound rate (32.6 percent) and second-chance points (16.7 per game), and the Raptors are in the top four of the league in fast-break points (15.6 per game) and turnovers (12.6 per game).
How to make Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks
The model is leaning under the total, projecting 211 combined points. It's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavs vs. Raptors? And which side of the spread hits 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
