NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are heavy underdogs in their upcoming matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 PM ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavs are heavily favored with a point spread at -14.5 (-110) at MyBookie.

Toronto Raptors Betting Preview

The Raptors are in the bottom three of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference and are a polar opposite to the Cavs this season. Consistently, they have failed to play meaningful defense and look like a team that is still learning to play the right way.

Just last month they lost the Memphis Grizzlies and allowed them to score 155 points. To give them credit, the Grizzlies are the best offensive team in the league in terms of points per game.

The Raptors rank 16th in the league, so about average, in field goal percentage at 46.2 percent. However, they rank 27th for their points differential each game, at -7.9. If they are typically losing games by at least eight points to average teams, what does that look like in matchups against elite teams?

Their offense ranks 21st in averaging about 111.0 points a game. Defensively they have allowed opponents to average roughly 119.0 points a game, ranking 27th. So not only do they have trouble scoring, but their defense is atrocious too.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The Cavs have been firing on all cylinders this season and are aiming for a run in the playoffs. They need games like this to fine-tune their roster, despite being months away from the playoffs.

For now, they boast a confidence that is hard to beat as the best shooting team in the league from the floor at 50.4 percent. They are also second in points differential, as they typically win games by at least 11.8 points.

If they want to stay on track for potentially one of the best seasons, they will need to continue adding points to the board and winning by a good margin. They currently rank second for getting near 122.5 points a game and rank ninth for allowing about 110.7 points from opposing teams.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

Check out MyBookie for the best Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers betting odds. Current odds show the Cavs as 14.5-point favorites. On top of that, market predictions suggest the Cavs have an 88.0 percent chance of winning.

The Raptors have two losing streaks this season with one lasting seven games and the longest being 12. The Cavs are arguably the best team in the East and they have had no issues against the Raptors this season, winning both games by 30 and 14 points, respectively. Look for the Cavs to cover the spread.

Final Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -14.5 (-110)