Motivated Raptors ready for Cavs’ best shot
With the strong scent of revenge in the air at Air Canada Centre, will the Raptors be able to take down the Cavaliers tonight?
The two teams tip off at 7 p.m. ET in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference finals. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives LeBron James & Co. odds of -150 to prevail. Conversely, Toronto represents a +135 underdog.
In May, Cleveland bounced Dwayne Casey’s team from the playoffs. Even so, the reigning Atlantic Division champion is coming off a 56-win campaign. Guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry looked like their usual All-Star selves in the 2016-17 opener, too, combining for 50 points in a 109-91 trouncing of Detroit.
The Cavs had no trouble dispatching the Knicks on Tuesday, either. James posted his 43rd career triple-double, spearheading Cleveland’s 117-88 beatdown. Kyrie Irving actually scored a game-high 29 points, while Kevin Love added 23 and 12 rebounds.
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Coach Tyronn Lue may be a couple of men down this evening, with both Iman Shumpert and Kay Felder undergoing concussion protocol. Make no mistake, though – the stars shall decide the tilt in question. The Raptors are bound to come out swinging, and the visiting squad could have a tough time answering the bell immediately.
FRIDAY NBA FREE PICK: RAPTORS +3.5