I was correct on my last Raptors free betting prediction as the Raptors (-9) got by the Sixers in Philadelphia 114-103. I am now 21-25 in Raptors free betting predictions. Tonight the 38-22 Toronto Raptors play host to the 38-24 Cleveland Cavaliers.
(38-24) Cleveland Cavaliers @ (38-22) Toronto Raptors
Probable starting line-ups:
Cleveland – PG – Kyrie Irving SG – J.R. Smith C – Timofey Mozgov SF – LeBron James PF – Kevin Love
Toronto – PG – Greivis Vasquez SG – DeMar DeRozan C – Jonas Valanciunas SF – James Johnson PF – Amir Johnson
Stats Leaders:
Cleveland – PPG – LeBron James 26.2 RPG – Kevin Love 10.2 APG – LeBron James 7.2
Toronto – PPG – DeMar DeRozan 18.3 RPG – Jonas Valanciunas 8.7 APG – Kyle Lowry 7.0
Team Scoring: (with league ranking in parentheses)
Cleveland – PF – 102.5 (8th) PA – 98.4 (12th)
Toronto – PF – 104.5 (5th) PA – 100.6 (21st)
Overview:
The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost 2 of their last 3 games. Last night they cruised to a 110-79 home victory over the Celtics. Small forward LeBron James led the way with 27 points on 12 of 23 shooting in 26 minutes. He also had 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Point guard Kyrie Irving netted 18 points on 6 of 10 shooting in 26 minutes. He also had 5 assists. Shooting guard J.R. Smith scored 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting in 23 minutes. He also had 4 rebounds. Power forward Kevin Love contributed with 12 points and 8 rebounds. He was 4 of 10 from the field in 25 minutes. Center Timofey Mozgov chipped in with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. He was 5 of 6 from the field in 20 minutes. The team shot 48.3% from the field, 35.7% from the 3 point line (10-28), and 100% from the free throw line (14-14). They out-rebounded their opposition 52-42. The Cavs took a 42 point lead in to the 4th quarter. Cleveland is 15-15 on the road this season. Including tonight they play 9 of their next 12 games on the road. Their next game is Friday at Atlanta.
The Toronto Raptors snapped their 5 game losing skid with a 114-103 win at home versus Philadelphia on Monday. It was only their 2nd win since the All-Star break. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan had a big night as he poured in 35 points on 12 of 24 shooting in 38 minutes. He was 10 of 10 from the free throw line. He also had 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Backup shooting guard Louis Williams netted 21 points on 6 of 15 shooting in 30 minutes. He was 7 of 7 from the foul line. He also had 5 assists. Power forward Patrick Patterson contributed with 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting in 30 minutes off the bench. Point guard Greivis Vasquez chipped in with 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting in 28 minutes. The team shot 51.3% from the field, 40.7% from the 3 point line (11-27), and 87.5% from the free throw line (21-24). The Raptors and Sixers were even in rebounds with 36 rebounds each. The Raps outscored the 76ers in all 4 quarters. Toronto is 21-10 at home this season. After tonight they go on the road for a 3 game road trip. Their next game is Friday at Charlotte.
Cleveland was victorious in 2 of 3 meetings with Toronto this season. On November 22nd the Raptors cruised to a 110-93 road win at Cleveland, on December 5th the Cavaliers secured a 105-91 road victory at Toronto, and on December 9th the Cavs held on for a 105-101 home win. Tonight is the last meeting of the season between the 2 teams.
Prediction:
The Cavs woke up from their 2 game slumber last night and the Celtics paid for it. The Raptors snapped their 5 game skid but it was against the lowly Sixers. The Cavaliers just seem like they are on a higher level than the Raptors right now. Take the Cavaliers -4.5 (1.90) (Bet365)
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