NBA odds, betting preview (Jan. 9): Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions

It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Toronto fell 112-98 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night in the first half of a road back-to-back. The Raptors have lost 14 of their last 15 games heading into this incredibly difficult matchup with the Cavaliers, who boast the best record in the NBA at 32-4.

Cleveland is coming off a massive 129-122 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The victory put an end to OKC’s 15-game winning streak and extended Cleveland’s run to 11 straight wins.

Both the Raptors and Cavaliers will be battling fatigue after playing on Wednesday, although the Cavs did get to sleep in their own beds while Toronto didn’t arrive in Cleveland until the early morning hours after playing in New York.

Let’s dive into the game odds for Thursday’s clash between the Raptors and Cavaliers.

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Betting Toronto Raptors (8-29 SU, 20-15-2 ATS, 19-18 o/u)

The Raptors fell to just 1-16 away from Scotiabank Arena with Wednesday’s loss to the Knicks, although they do boast a respectable 8-8-1 record against the spread on the road. The under is 11-6 when Toronto plays on the road as well.

Toronto kept Wednesday’s game close, trailing by just four points after halftime, but New York pulled away with a big 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to create some separation. The Raptors nearly pulled off a backdoor cover as underdogs on the 11.5-point spread but ultimately came up just short.

One plus is that Toronto’s starting five, aside from Scottie Barnes, all played 31 minutes or less (Barnes played 35 minutes), so they should collectively still have their legs on Thursday against the Cavaliers.

Betting Cleveland Cavaliers (32-4 SU, 26-10 ATS, 23-12-1 o/u)

This Cavaliers team is flirting with history, as only four teams in NBA history have posted an identical, or better, record through 36 games: 2015-16 Warriors (32-4), 1966-67 Sixers (33-3), 1971-72 Lakers (33-3), and the 1995-96 Bulls (33-3).

However, covering the massive 15.5-point spread on Thursday will be a tall task for the Cavaliers, who are in a classic letdown spot against the Raptors after their high-profile matchup with the Western Conference-leading Thunder. Key cogs Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley played 35 high-stress minutes on Wednesday, so Cleveland will likely lean on its bench a little more than usual on Thursday, leaving an opening for Toronto to keep the game respectable.

Cleveland has taken both of the previous meetings against Toronto this season. The Cavs earned a 122-108 home win over the Raptors as 11.5-point favourites on Nov. 24 and scored a lopsided 136-106 victory in their season opener in Toronto on Oct. 23. Cleveland was a small 6.5-point favourite in that matchup.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers injuries

F Ochai Agbaji (back) is out for the Raptors.

G Sam Merrill (ankle) is questionable for the Cavaliers.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers betting trends

• The Cavaliers are 3-0 SU and 3-0 ATS in the past three meetings.
• The Raptors are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games.
• The Cavaliers are 19-1 SU and 14-6 ATS at home this season.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers player prop trends

• Max Strus has cleared his line of 2.5 assists in four straight games and six of his last 10. He’s around -105 to exceed that line again.
• Gradey Dick has cleared his line of 4.5 rebounds + assists in 13 straight games! Oddsmakers still haven’t adjusted this line, which Dick has exceeded at a 77 percent rate this season. You can find odds around +115 on the over.
• Dean Wade has been a good bet in the points + rebounds + assists betting market. He’s exceeded his line of 11.5 in eight straight games, and you can get him to clear that line again for around -105 odds.
• Jakob Poeltl has recorded at least one steal in 12 straight games, but you’ll have to pay steep -210 odds if you like him to accomplish the feat again on Thursday. This could be a useful leg of a parlay.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers best bet

• Gradey Dick over 4.5 rebounds + assists: +115 (best odds at bet365). We have to go back to the well on this player prop that we’re still getting incredible value on at +115 odds (46.5 percent implied probability on a prop cashing at a 77 percent rate) despite it cashing in 13 straight games. The Cavs allow the eighth-least amount of rebounds + assists in the league, but Dick did beat this line the last time these teams met in November. Dick, who is struggling mightily to score over the last three games, only played 20 minutes against New York, so he should be fresh on Thursday and ready to eat minutes.

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