Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors Prediction & Picks - NBA
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by Carlos Zabala | in NBA Picks
"We were too stagnant tonight," was Darko Rajakovic's conclusion about his team's loss in Game 1 of the playoff series against the Cavaliers. The Raptors lost 126-113 in Cleveland, but the Serbian coach of Toronto stated that he would review the film of Game 1 to prepare for Game 2. Sportsbooks again have the Cavaliers as 8.5-point favorites to win the series.
In Game 1, while things didn't flow well on the court, the Raptors allowed an atypical 126 points and were effectively contained from beyond the arc by their opponents; the opposite was true for the Cavaliers. Their star, Donovan Mitchell, played this postseason game as if it were any other and contributed 32 points; Max Struss added 24, which is especially encouraging considering he missed 67 games this season with a broken foot. At the same time, bringing in veteran James Harden was a smart move. He scored 22 points and dished out 10 assists.
Both teams possess extensive playoff experience, which is why, at least in Game 1, the team that played more aggressively emerged victorious—undoubtedly Mitchell's Cavs. Mitchell himself boasted that they left the Raptors with no options, forcing them to defend not only his three-point shot but also Harden's. Meanwhile, Mitchell demonstrated in Game 1 that he executes a tremendous inside game.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors Form
Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors Latest Matches
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Cleveland Cavaliers against Toronto Raptors : Head to Head (H2H)
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Players list
J. Harden
D. Mitchell
E. Mobley
J. Shead
S. Barnes
B. Ingram
Substitutes
D. Schroder
K. Ellis
C. Porter
T. Proctor
S. Merrill
J. Tyson
N. Tomlin
J. Walter
A. Lawson
J. Battle
J. Mogbo
C. Murray-Boyles
Cleveland Cavaliers - Toronto Raptors Key Points
- The Cavaliers made 16 of 32 three-point attempts in Game 1
- The Cavaliers are the fifth favorite in the betting odds to win this NBA championship
- The Cavaliers recorded 9 steals in Game 1
- RJ Barrett of the Raptors scored 24 points in Game 1
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Our Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors Prediction
The Cavaliers held a lead of up to 24 points at one point in Game 1. This shows that Kenny Atkinson's team was better at deciphering the strategy to disrupt the Raptors' game.
For Kenny Atkinson, it was a fantastic game, coached from the bench, calling his timeouts at the right moments; he later spoke about the importance of being ahead by halftime in games like this. Harden spoke about his playoff experience, noting that things happen "too fast"—and indeed they did—but the Raptors in Game 1 did not have an adequate answer for the Cavaliers' style of play.
Our prediction for Cavaliers vs Raptors is: Cavaliers -8.5.
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