The Toronto Raptors and their fifth-ranked offense visit Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers and their second-ranked defense in Game of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game begins at 8:30 pm ET on Wednesday, May 25 and will air on ESP.
The Cavaliers are expecting a different result after their 105-99 loss to the Raptors on Monday. LeBron James was the team’s leading scorer with 29 points.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength, as the high-octane offense of Cleveland (third in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 109.8) takes on the top-notch defense of Toronto (third in the league with a defensive efficiency of 103.5). Also, the Raptors’s fifth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 106.9) will face off against the second-ranked defense of the Cavaliers (defensive efficiency of 103.2).
The Cavaliers come into this game 67-27 Straight Up (SU) and 44-48-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 67-27 SU and 44-48-2 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 96.1 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 104.5 points per game. The Cavaliers, sporting the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.81), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. As for the Cleveland defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Cavaliers. The 98.1 points that Cleveland’s defense allows per game makes them the fifth-ranked defense in the league. Teams have to fight for open shots against the Cavaliers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .449.
On the other side, the Raptors head into the game with records of 51-48-1 ATS and 66-34 SU. Toronto has records of 66-34 SU and 51-48-1 ATS against the East. Toronto is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 16.6 per game.
Toronto won the last meeting this season between these two teams, but the win was not enough to overtake Cleveland in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Cleveland is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games “.
“Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
“Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto”.
Cleveland averages 104.5 points per game (ranked seventh). However, Toronto has allowed an average of just 97.8 points per game (ranked fourth).
Cleveland averages 107.1 points per home game (ranked fifth). However, Toronto has allowed an average of just 98.3 points per away game (ranked second).
Cleveland has a stellar 40-10 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Toronto is 20-19 when it scores under 100.
The Cavaliers have a 27-17 record when they allow at least 100 points. The Raptors have also performed well when they reach the century mark with a record of 46-15 in such games.
Cleveland’s offense and Toronto’s defense both rank third this season. Cleveland has an offensive rating of 109.8 and Toronto has a defensive rating of 103.5.
The Cleveland Cavaliers average 95.2 possessions and 1.098 points per possession in games this season. The Toronto Raptors average fewer possessions with 94.7, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.069.
Ranked second in the NBA, Cleveland has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.8%. Toronto is 16-18 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Cleveland attempts 30.0 three pointers and Toronto attempts 23.0 per game. Both teams have winning records when they have 25 or more three point attempts. The Cavaliers sit at 50-22 and the Raptors are 25-14.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.81, rank fifth in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors have a lower A/TO (1.51), ranking 23rd.
The Cavaliers rank 10th in rebounds per game with 44.3, while the Raptors rank 19th with 43.1 per game.
The Toronto Raptors rank 16th in offensive rebounding, while the Cleveland Cavaliers rank 11th in defensive rebounding.
Though Cleveland is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 13.3% (ranked third), Toronto has a winning 31-13 record SU when its TOV% is 13.3% or greater.
