Raptors vs Cavaliers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, December 23rd

Check out our free Raptors vs Cavaliers pick and preview for this NBA game in Cleveland. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Raptors vs Cavaliers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers
Where: Cleveland at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Date: Friday, December 23rd
Betting Odds CLE -4, TOR +152 | CLE -184 O/U 214.5

So far, the Raptors have put together an overall record of 14-18, while going 16-16-0 vs the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 1-2 straight-up and 2-1 vs the spread.

Toronto is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Knicks. With the 113-106 victory, they also covered the spread as 2 point underdogs. Toronto benefited from holding a substantial first half lead, as the Knicks actually outscored the Raptors in the second half. In the win, Pascal Siakam led the team in scoring with 52 points on a field goal percentage of 68.0%.

The Cavaliers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 22-11. So far, the team has gone 19-13-1 against the spread. Against the Raptors, the Cavaliers are looking to add to their current 5 game winning streak. The average margin of victory across these matchups is 10.6.

The Cavaliers will look to keep things rolling, as they previously beat the Bucks by a score of 114-106. Heading into the game, they were 2 point favorites against the spread, giving them an ATS win. Cleveland played well enough in the second half to prevent the Bucks from making things interesting down the stretch, as they led by 18 going into halftime. In the win, Donovan Mitchell led the team in scoring with 36 points on a field goal percentage of 42.9%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I Last year, the Raptors saw a drop in overall scoring when playing the Cavaliers, averaging 103.25 points per game. As for Toronto, they actually improved their points per game numbers in head-to-head matchups, averaging 113.5 points per contest against the Cavaliers. In terms of betting vs the spread, the Raptors have gone 3-2, but the Cavaliers actually have a positive scoring differential. In these meetings, Cleveland has averaged 109 points per contest, while allowing 104. A combined average of 213 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the Toronto offense is ranked 20th in the NBA in scoring at 111.2 points per game. So far, the Raptors are averaging 97.3 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 28th in the league in field goal percentage 44.9%.

Defensively, the Raptors are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 107.1 points per contest (7th).

On offense, Pascal Siakam leads the Raptors in scoring at 26.2 points per game, placing him 16th in the NBA. Overall, Siakam has hit 48.8% of his shots while accounting for 21.0% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 29th in points allowed to power-fowards. At 18.6 points per game, OG Anunoby is the 2nd leading scorer for the Raptors. For the season, he is 163rd in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 47.3%.

The Cavaliers come into today’s game as the 21st ranked scoring offense at 111.0 points per game. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Cavaliers are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 96.4 per contest. This slow style of play has made a difference in their overall scoring numbers, as Cleveland is just 21st in made field goals per game.

Defensively, the Cavaliers are one of the top performing units in the league, giving up 105.67 points per contest (5th).

On offense, Donovan Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring at 29.5 points per game, placing him 8th in the NBA. Overall, Mitchell has hit 50.3% of his shots while accounting for 24.2% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 1st in points allowed to shooting guards. At 20.7 points per game, Darius Garland is the 2nd leading scorer for the Cavaliers. For the season, he is 104th in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 43.2%.