Cavaliers vs Raptors Odds, Spread & Picks (Oct. 19)
- Toronto is laying 2.5-points in the Cavaliers vs Raptors odds on Wednesday (Oct. 19) in the season opener for both teams
- Donovan Mitchell will make his Cavs regular-season debut after being acquired from Utah during the offseason
- Keep reading for the complete Cavaliers vs Raptors odds and predictions
Two of the East’s more legitimate playoff contenders open their seasons on Wednesday in Toronto, as the Raptors host the Cavaliers.
Cleveland pulled off arguably the biggest trade of the offseason, swooping in at the last minute in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes to acquire him from the Jazz.
The Cavs boast the shorter title price of the two in the NBA championship odds, but it’s Toronto who has been pegged as the chalk for this matchup.
Cavaliers vs Raptors Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +2.5 (-112) | +117 | O 214 (-109) |
| Toronto Raptors | -2.5 (-109) | -139 | U 214 (-112) |
Odds as of October 18 at Barstool. Claim the Barstool Sportsbook promo code and see the latest on Ohio sports betting.
The Raptors opened up as 3.5-point favorites, but that line has since come down a full point. Even at the reduced number Cleveland is drawing the majority of the betting action. 67% of the spread wagers are on the Cavs, as is a whopping 92% of the ATS handle.
Total wise, the game features a 214 point over/under, while tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON.
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Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Analysis
Cleveland paid a king’s ransom for Mitchell unloading three roster players, three unprotected first round picks and two pick swaps.
At 26, Mitchell is a three-time All-Star entering his prime, and joins fellow All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, as well as rookie of the year runner-up Evan Mobley to form a very strong nucleus. All four are under the age of 27 and are each locked up for three more seasons.
DARIUS GARLAND X DONOVAN MITCHELL CONNECTION. 🔥🍿
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 11, 2022
Mitchell ranked ninth in the NBA in scoring last season, averaging 26 points per game. His offense will boost a Cleveland squad that ranked 20th in offensive rating, and 25th in points per game.
Defensively, this team is elite. They ranked fifth in defensive rating last season, and having both Mobley and Allen on the floor at the same time makes it a nightmare for opposing teams in the paint.
Only four teams defended two-point attempts better than Cleveland in 2021-22, while the Cavs ranked fifth in scoring defense.
Toronto Raptors Betting Analysis
The Raps enter play with essentially the same roster as last season. They did add some three-point shooting in Otto Porter Jr., but the former Warriors is already injured and will miss the season opener.
Otto Porter Jr. getting in some individual work with assistant coaches after practice for a second straight day. He’ll miss tomorrow’s opener with a hamstring strain and is still probably a week or two away, but this is an encouraging step. pic.twitter.com/WELMuYvipu
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 18, 2022
Toronto features three top-40 players on the roster, including Scottie Barnes, who edged out Mobley in last year’s NBA rookie of the year odds.
Offensively, the group is led by Pascal Siakam, who’s fresh off third-team all-NBA honors, and led the team with 22.8 points per game. Fred VanVleet is their number two option after averaging over 20 points per outing, while Gary Trent averaged 18 points a night while shooting a team-high 38% from three.
Scottie Barnes mentioned that one of his goals for this season was to make an All-Defensive team 📈
–
Here’s some of the leagues %’s when guarded by Scottie ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/L2x9XK15q0— ً (@enra6ed) September 30, 2022
At the other end of the floor, Nick Nurse has the Raps playing harder and tougher than most teams. Toronto ranked ninth in defensive rating, while allowing the seventh fewest points per game. Only Memphis averaged more steals per game than the Raps, while the team ranked eighth in total rebounding.
Cavaliers vs Raptors Prediction
With both teams excelling at the defensive end, we need to consider betting the under in this contest. 214 is a number they failed to exceed in two of their four meetings last season, while both teams ranked in the bottom-six in the NBA in pace.
With the majority of both rosters and coaching staffs back for another year, there’s nothing that indicates all of a sudden either team is going to want to play fast. Mitchell is used to a slow paced scheme from his time in Utah, and he’s actually struggled in his career versus the Raps.
Mitchell has averaged just 21.1 points per game in his career against Toronto, which is tied for his second lowest mark against any NBA team.
Pick: Under 214 (-112)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
