The Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) clash with the Toronto Raptors (0-2) at Quicken Loans Arena in game three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The game will air on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 216 points with Cleveland set as a 4.5-point favorite.
Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Prediction
In game two, James scored a game-high 43 points and the Cavaliers, who were 7-point underdogs, beat the Raptors 128-110. He also put up 14 assists and eight rebounds. The game finished with a total of 238 points, which was 24.5 points above the projected point total of 213.5 points. The Cavaliers had a much better turnover percentage (3.1 vs. 11.4) and had a better free throw rate (0.202 vs. 0.123).
This contest figures to be a high-scoring affair as a pair of the league’s best offenses battle. Cleveland ranks fifth with 110.8 points per 100 possessions and Toronto is third (111.6). Ball security should be an advantage for the Raptors. They rank 4th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 12.8 percent), while the Cavaliers force the third-fewest turnovers in the NBA (opponents’ turnover percentage of 12.9 percent).
Toronto heads into the contest with records of 63-27 straight up (SU) and 48-42 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Raptors games, with 47 overs compared to 43 unders.
Cleveland is 56-35 SU, but they are just 35-54-2 ATS. Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Cavaliers games, with 45 overs compared to 45 unders.
For the playoffs, the Cavaliers are 13-8 with 11 unders, nine overs and one push while the Raptors are 7-13 ATS with 12 unders and eight overs
LeBron James has averaged 33.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks over the last five games for Cleveland.
Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers ATS Pick
Free Pick: SU Winner – Raptors, ATS Winner – Raptors, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Toronto is 23-21 ATS with 23 overs and 21 unders.
Cleveland is 13-31-1 ATS at home with 24 unders, 20 overs and 1 push.
Cleveland is 18-5 when they allow below 100 points, while Toronto is 30-5.
The Cavaliers are 53-18 when they score more than 100 points, while the Raptors are 57-18.
Toronto ranks second in three pointers allowed per game (24.9) while Cleveland ranks 28th (31.3).
The Raptors rank second in blocks per game (6.1) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (3.8).
Toronto ranks sixth in assists per game (24.2) while Cleveland ranks 28th in assists allowed per game (25.5).
The Raptors average 48.8 points in the paint per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points allowed in the paint per game (47.2).
Toronto ranks 12th in second chance points per game (12.8) while Cleveland ranks 26th (11.0).
The Raptors rank fifth in rebounds allowed per game (42.2) while the Cavaliers rank 16th (43.3).
Toronto ranks fifth in steals allowed per game (7.2) while Cleveland ranks 12th (7.4).
The Raptors rank ninth in fast break points per game (13.4) while the Cavaliers rank 14th in fast break points allowed per game (11.7).
Toronto ranks 12th in points off turnovers per game (16.8) while Cleveland ranks 15th in points off turnovers allowed per game (16.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Toronto is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Raptors have been outscored by an average of 1.4 points in their last five games. For the season, Toronto has defeated opponents by an average of 7.0 points.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 106.2 points per game (3.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 107.8 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
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