Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 5/7/18, Prediction & Odds

Raptors vs. Cavaliers Prediction

An all-time great game-winner by LeBron James sent the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a Game 3 victory two nights ago over the Toronto Raptors. Is Cleveland going to complete the sweep on its home floor tonight against top-seeded Toronto?

Game Snapshot

503 Toronto Raptors at 504 Cleveland Cavaliers

Monday, May 7, 2018

Quicken Loans Arena at 8:30PM ET

TV: TNT

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Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers, the Cavaliers are a 5-point favorite to win on the spread line. The over-under is set at 213.5 points. As of Monday afternoon, 58 percent of public bets are on visiting Toronto. Check out our NBA Public Betting Page for the latest information.

James adds another highlight to his legacy

When LeBron says a shot is difficult as he did in the aftermath of his Game 3 winner to sink the Raptors by a score of 105-103. James raced up the left sideline, beat the defender by a step and floated a shot from the side that glanced off the backboard and in at the buzzer to stun Toronto while sending the Cleveland fans into a frenzy. He finished the game with 38 points on 14-of-26 shooting plus seven assists, six rebounds, three steals and a block. Kevin Love added 21 points and 16 boards.

DeRozan benched for final 16 minutes

It is highly unusual to see a star player benched in such a critical game, but that is what happened to Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan as he sat for the final 16 minutes of Game 3. Prior to the benching, he had shot only 3-of-12 from the floor for eight points and was a team-worst minus-23 in 28 minutes. Regardless of his ineffectiveness, DeRozan averaged 23 points per game during the regular season and has upped that to 23.8 in the playoffs. With Toronto still losing the game, it is not the best look for a head coach in Dwane Casey whose job could be in jeopardy.

NBA Betting Trends

Toronto

The Raptors are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings in Cleveland and 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings overall.

Cleveland

The over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings. The under is 4-0 in the last four Cavaliers home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

Prediction:

Toronto, or "LeBronto" as it has now been coined, just can't get anything to go right against the Cavaliers. Game 3 was the latest example. With the DeRozan benching and a demoralized team on the road, this could spell the end for the top seed in the East. Even so, the spread still makes me want to go back to the well one more time. The Raptors did still cover the +4 last game and now bettors have an additional point to work with. If Toronto could somehow find a way to win this one, two of the next three (if necessary) games would be back at Air Canada Centre. Wishful thinking? Of course. But the Raptors have to try and find any positives and hopes to cling onto at this point.

 

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: TORONTO RAPTORS +5