NBA Odds: Raptors (even)
The Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors (38-22) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and can be seen on FSN-OH and TSN2.
The Raptors played well in their last game, topping the 76ers 114-103 on Monday. DeMar DeRozan was the game’s leading scorer with 35 points on 12-for-24 shooting. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the close 105-103 loss against the Rockets on Sunday. LeBron James led the game in scoring with 37 points.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the NBA’s top offenses match up. Toronto ranks fourth in the league with 107.6 points per 100 possessions, while Cleveland is fifth in that metric (107.3).
The Cavaliers lead the season series against the Raptors two games to one, including a 105-101 win the last time these two teams met. In the victory, James led all scorers with 35 points.
The odds for Toronto and Cleveland are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Raptors have gone 38-22 Straight Up (SU) and 28-31-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 26-11 SU and 19-18 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Raptors are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .782 from the free throw line. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Toronto’s offense, which averages just 12.4 turnovers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Cavaliers have 37-24 SU and 30-31 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Cleveland is 23-12 SU and 16-19 ATS.
With the Cavaliers’ last win against Toronto, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. The Cavaliers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – TOR, ATS Winner – TOR
Notes
On average, Cleveland scores 102.4 points per game (ranked ninth). Toronto ranks 21st in points allowed per game with 100.6.
Cleveland puts up an average of 101.0 points per away game (ranked ninth). Toronto ranks 11th in points allowed per home game with 97.4.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Toronto Raptors are a stellar 21-5. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a losing record of 7-19.
When Toronto allows 100 or more points in a game, the team is an even 17-17 this season. Cleveland, on the other hand, has a tremendous record (30-5) when it hits triple digits.
The Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 103.5 (ranked 18th). The Raptors rank fourth for their offensive rating of 107.6.
The Toronto Raptors average 97.1 possessions and 1.076 points per possession in games this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers average fewer possessions with 95.4, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.073.
The Toronto Raptors have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking eighth in the league with an EFF% of 50.6%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a poor 9-19 record.
Toronto attempts an average of 25.4 three pointers per game, and Cleveland attempts 26.4 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Raptors have a 21-15 record while the Cavaliers have a 20-17 record.
The Toronto Raptors, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.66, rank 12th in the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a lower A/TO (1.62), ranking 16th.
The Raptors rank 25th in rebounds per game with 41.8, while the Cavaliers rank 17th with 43.1 per game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 11th in offensive rebounding, while the Toronto Raptors rank 27th in defensive rebounding.
Toronto averages a forced turnover rate of 14.9% this season. Cleveland has a 12-15 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
