Offense meets defense when the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-29) welcome the Toronto Raptors (53-18) to Quicken Loans Arena. The game will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Free Prediction
The Raptors will be hoping for a similar outcome after beating the Orlando Magic in their last contest, 93-86. Toronto’s 0.117 free throw rate was their largest advantage over Orlando, who had a rate of 0.033. The Raptors’ mark was below their season average of 0.208, while the Magic’s was below their season average of 0.186. With 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting, Kyle Lowry was the top scorer from either team.
The last time the Cavaliers played, they were victorious over the Milwaukee Bucks, 124-117. The Cavaliers had a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3 (above their season average of 19.5) and had a free throw rate of 0.264 (above their season average of 0.212). With 40 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, LeBron James led the way for Cleveland with his 15th triple-double this year.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Cleveland takes on the elite defense of Toronto. The Cavaliers rank fifth in offensive efficiency, while the Raptors are fourth in defensive efficiency. The Raptors should be expected to protect the ball well. They rank 4th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 12.8 percent). Conversely, the Cavaliers force the fourth-fewest turnovers in the league (opponents’ turnover percentage of 12.9 percent).
Toronto comes into the contest with records of 53-18 straight up (SU) and 40-30 against the spread (ATS). Of the Raptors’ 70 games that accepted bets, 36 have finished over the total.
Meanwhile, Cleveland is 41-29 SU and 23-46-1 ATS. Similarly to Toronto, a little over half of Cavaliers games have finished over the total.
James has averaged 29.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.8 steals over the last five games for Cleveland.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. James led both teams with 26 points in the first matchup, in which the Cavaliers lost 133-99, unable to cover as 2.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 232 points, which was 10.5 points above the projected point total of 221.5 points. The Raptors had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (40.9 vs. 16.7) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.585 vs. 0.416).
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Raptors, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Toronto is 21-14 ATS on the road with 19 overs and 16 unders.
At home, Cleveland is 8-25-1 ATS with 17 overs, 16 unders and 1 push.
When holding opponents under 100 points, Toronto is 25-5 and Cleveland is 14-2.
In games where they score more than 100 points, the Cavaliers are 40-17 and the Raptors are 49-11.
Toronto ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (25.1) while Cleveland ranks 29th (31.9).
The Raptors rank second in blocks per game (6.0) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (4.0).
Toronto ranks sixth in assists per game (23.9) while Cleveland ranks 28th in assists allowed per game (25.7).
The Raptors average 48.3 points in the paint per game, which ranks sixth in the league. The Cavaliers rank 24th in points allowed in the paint per game (46.9).
Toronto ranks fourth in points off turnovers per game (17.9) while Cleveland ranks 16th (16.3).
The Raptors rank 14th in rebounds per game (43.8) while the Cavaliers rank 22nd in rebounds allowed per game (44.3).
Toronto ranks 12th in second chance points per game (12.9) while Cleveland ranks 18th in second chance points allowed per game (12.9).
The Raptors rank ninth in fast break points per game (13.8) while the Cavaliers rank 13th in fast break points allowed per game (11.5).
Toronto ranks 11th in steals per game (8.0) while Cleveland ranks 12th in steals allowed per game (7.6).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Toronto is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Raptors’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.6, down from 8.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 117.0 points per game (6.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 114.6 points per game (4.4 above their season average).
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