The No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers and No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors will clash in a Round 1 series of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Cleveland underwhelmed in the regular season as the preseason favorite in the East, but this team is -550 to win Round 1. The Raptors haven’t won a playoff series since 2020.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors Round 1 Odds
- Cavaliers series moneyline: -550
- Raptors series moneyline: +400
- Over 5.5 games: -110
- Under 5.5 games -110
Cavaliers vs. Raptors Round 1 Prediction
Per the latest NBA odds, I’m backing Cleveland’s series spread (-1.5) for my Cavaliers vs. Raptors Round 1 prediction. I expect the Cavs to win this series in six games or fewer.
After claiming the No. 1 seed last year, Cleveland dealt with injuries before eventually losing in the conference semifinals. The Cavs began the year as East favorites but struggled out of the gate, prompting them to trade Darius Garland for James Harden.
Basically, Cleveland understands the stakes of this season. The Cavs have aspirations of making a deep run, aiming for their first trip to the conference finals since LeBron James left the team. Anything short of that could lead to an offseason of change for this core.
Cleveland is banking on the fact that its core has shown signs of being elite. According to Databallr, the Cavs have a +25.2 net rating over 80 minutes when Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley are on the floor together. Their offensive rating is 122.9, and their defensive rating is 97.7.
Of course, that’s not a large sample size at all. But it’s certainly notable, considering they stack up with anyone in a wide-open East when those four are on the floor.
I think there is a chance that it all clicks for the Cavs this postseason. Even if it doesn’t, their elite offense can run the Raptors (15th in offensive rating) out of the gym.
Mitchell, in particular, is set up for success in this matchup. The Raptors rank 24th in defending the pick-and-roll ball-handler this year, per Props Madness, which is how Mitchell gets 26% of his scoring production. I’m interested in Mitchell’s player props, especially the +160 value at BetMGM for him to score 40-plus points in any playoff game.
Best bet: Cavaliers series spread (-1.5)
Cavaliers vs. Raptors Game 1 Odds
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