Cleveland is a classic example of what one man can do for a team in basketball. LeBron James is literally carrying the Cavaliers on his back. It took seven games for the Cavs to eliminate Indiana. James scored 45 points in the seventh game and added nine rebounds. For the first round he averaged 34 points per game. That is 23 points more than the second leading scorer on the team. Can this make for a successful betting on NBA Games formula? It’s doubtful that King James can carry the Cavaliers all the way. Top seed Toronto is next.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Game 1
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 7 p.m. Eastern
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
NBA Betting Online Odds at SBG:
| Team | Spread | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cavaliers | +6½ (-110) | 215½(-110) |  |
| Raptors | -6½ (-110) | 215½ (-110) | |
| |||
Cavaliers vs. Raptors TV Coverage: TNT
What to Expect
Cleveland and Toronto open their best of seven series with two games at Air Canada Centre. Next will be two games at Cleveland. If necessary game five is at Toronto. A sixth game would be at Cleveland. And if a game seven is needed its set for TO. Toronto opened as a -210 betting on NBA Games choice to win the series. Cleveland is a +175 dog. The Raptors had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. Opening round action saw Toronto eliminate Washington in six games.
Cleveland
Cleveland was a terrible sportsbook value all season. Just 32 payouts in 82 games bled gamblers dry. Against Indiana in the first round they paid in just one of the seven games. Five of the seven games went under the total. The drop off from James to the rest of the team is remarkable. Center Kevin Love is the second leading scorer with 11 points per game. Love is also averaging nine rebounds per outing. When Cleveland won the NBA Finals in 2016 James carried them but had help. This time he does not. Yet the Cavs do have championship mystique.
Toronto
Toronto got the money in four of their six games against Washington. The last three games going under the total. Guard DeMar DeRozan leads the Raptors with 27 points per game in the playoffs. Fellow guard Kyle Lowry is next with 17 points per tilt. DeRozan is an All Star that has emerged to an elite level. A win over Cleveland would certainly validate his greatness. Despite their lack of scoring depth, the Cavs still have a lot of cache. Teams that beat them earn plenty of street cred with gamblers.
Team vs. Team
Toronto has struggled against Cleveland head to head. In the last 13 meetings the Raps paid out just three times. Seven of the last ten in this series went over the total. Air Canada Centre has seen the Raptors cover just one of the last six meetings. Five of the last seven at TO went over the total.
Matchup to Watch if you are betting on NBA Games
James vs. DeRozan is a fascinating matchup. Toronto has more secondary scoring. But James is a more dominant player. The King can literally carry a team on his shoulders. That is a sobering factor for betting on NBA Games.
Cavaliers vs. Raptors NBA games Betting Odds Picks
Toronto will be fresh and should get the cash in game one. Cleveland has been a poor betting value all year.
NBA Betting Online Pick: Toronto Raptors
NBA Betting Online Score Prediction: Raptors 123, Cavaliers 115
Check out the Raptors clinching win over Washington!