The Cleveland Cavaliers visit Toronto to take on the Raptors in Game of the Eastern Conference Finals, pitting the third-ranked offense against the third-ranked defense. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, May 21 and will air on ESP and C+D.
The Raptors are expecting a different result after their 108-89 loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday. DeMar DeRozan was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the league’s elite defenses. The Raptors rank third in the NBA in defensive efficiency (103.5), while the Cavaliers are second (102.9). Also, the Cavaliers’s third-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 109.9) will face off against the third-ranked defense of the Raptors (defensive efficiency of 103.5).
The Raptors have gone 64-34 Straight Up (SU) and 49-48-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Raptors have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 108.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 101.2 points per game. If its opponents turn the ball over, Toronto has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 16.6 points off turnovers, making them the fourth-best team in the league for that category.
On the other side, the Cavaliers head into the game with records of 44-46-2 ATS and 67-25 SU. Most recently, Cleveland is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. During the last 10 games, they averaged 94.2 PPG, below their 104.8 PPG season average. The Cavaliers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fifth in the NBA at 1.81. Switching gears to Cleveland’s defense, the Cavaliers allow just 98.0 points per game, ranking them fifth in the league. Teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Cavaliers, who are the fourth-best team in the league in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .448.
With the Cavaliers’ last win against Toronto, their SU record against the Raptors moves to 7-3 over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, the Cavaliers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
Cleveland averages 104.8 points per game (ranked seventh). However, Toronto has allowed an average of just 97.9 points per game (ranked fourth).
Cleveland scores 102.3 points per away game, ranking eighth in the league. Toronto allows just 97.5 points per home game (ranked fifth).
Toronto has a formidable 53-6 record when it allows under 100 points this season. Cleveland is 12-16 when it puts up under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Raptors are just 11-28 this season. Cleveland is an outstanding 55-9 when it reaches the century mark.
The Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 102.9, second-best in the NBA. The Raptors also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 106.7 (ranked sixth).
With 94.9 possessions and 1.067 points per possession, the Toronto Raptors perform worse on both metrics than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland averages 95.4 possessions and 1.099 points per possession.
Cleveland is the second-ranked team in the NBA in average effective field goal percentage at 52.8%. Toronto is 15-18 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.8 assists per game and the Toronto Raptors make 18.3. Cleveland is ranked 11th, while Toronto is ranked 29th.
Toronto makes an average of 5.2 blocks per game (ranked 11th), while Cleveland makes 3.8 blocks per game (ranked 28th).
Toronto is ranked 16th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Cleveland ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
The Toronto Raptors make an average of 7.8 steals per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 39-14.
