On Saturday night, the Eastern Conference final between Cleveland and Toronto shifts north of the border, as the Raptors welcome the Cavaliers for Game 3. The Cavaliers have won the first two games easily, including a 108-89 tattooing of the Raptors in Game 2. That makes the Cavaliers 10-0 in these playoffs, after sweeping Detroit and Atlanta and then the first two games against Toronto. Don’t forget to check more odds and lines for NBA by clicking here.
A Look at the NBA Playoffs Odds Pick Game 3 Cleveland at Toronto & TV Info
When: Saturday, May 21, 2016, 8:30 PM Eastern time
Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto
TV: ESPN
Radio: Toronto / ClevelandLive Stream: NBA.comNBA Odds: TBA
Why should you bet on Cleveland?
The Cavaliers don’t seem to be stoppable on offense. The Raptors arguably had the best defense in the East this year, but Cleveland keeps scoring on them. LeBron James posted a triple-double in Game 2 (23 points, 11 boards, 11 assists), and the Cavaliers have now joined the 1989 and 2001 Lakers and the 2012 Spurs as the only teams to open playoffs with 10 straight wins. The trio of James, Irving and Love have been giving teams fits throughout these playoffs, and all of those chemistry and psychology issues that were draining the Cavs at different points during the regular season seem to be a distant memory.
Why should you put your money on the Raptors?
When the Raptors are shooting well, their defense makes them difficult to beat. However, the first two games in Cleveland were not kind to Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan. In Game 2, Lowry only put up 10 points. In the series, he is just 8 for 28, including 1 for 15 behind the arc. With 2 ½ minutes left in the first half, he got up off the bench and went into the locker room. He said this was to help him “decompress,” but we’ll see. What we do know is that the Raptors will give maximum effort on both ends of the floor. DeMar DeRozan played decent ball (22 points, 5 boards, 2 assists), so if Lowry can join him, Toronto could get a better result at home.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
Toronto has responded well to adversity in these playoffs. I expect a better effort on defense and a better shooting night out of Kyle Lowry. I’m predicting a 108-105 Raptor win.
