Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 5 NBAPlayoffs Odds & Game Picks

This first round series between the No. 4 seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the No. 5 seed, the Toronto Raptors, is tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5. But the games haven’t exactly been close. Three of the four have been decided by double digits, though Toronto’s Game 4 win was a tight and low-scoring 93-89 affair.

So which team will take the reins of this series in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Cleveland? Will the Raptors maintain their momentum? Or will it be the Cavaliers that get a jolt from a return to their home gym?

We break down the game from a betting standpoint with NBA betting odds, picks, and predictions on the spread and point total, and we take a look at our favorite player prop for the evening as well.

NBA East Playoffs Round 1 - No. 5 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers - Wednesday, April 29, 7:30 p.m.

All odds provided by Betway.

Raptors vs. Cavaliers Spread/Moneyline Prediction

The last game in this series felt like it was plucked right out of the 1990s with the kind of defense that was being played on both sides. But we would argue that can’t continue, and if it doesn’t, the team that is most likely to take advantage is the Cavaliers. Sorry, Canada.

Cleveland was top 10 in home wins this season, going 27-14, and they have a lot more firepower that is just waiting to explode. Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, James Harden, and Donovan Mitchell can all give you 30 on any given night. And we have a sneaking suspicion we might see just that from at least two of those guys in Game 5.

The home team has won four of the last six Game 5 games in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 series, and we think that trend is going to continue in Cleveland with a comprehensive win. Prior to this series, the Cavs hadn’t lost back-to-back games since late February, and they haven’t lost three in a row since mid-December.

Best Bet: Cleveland Cavaliers -8.5 Point Spread (-110)

Raptors vs. Cavaliers Over/Under Prediction

The defense on display in Game 4 was manna from heaven for the rare defensive basketball junkie. But there was also some poor shot-making and poor shot selection. We expect that to flip back in a big way in Game 4.

These teams can both play defense (clearly), but they weren’t doing much of that in this series prior to Game 4. Those first three contests of the series averaged about 230 total points a game, with both teams topping the century mark in each game. This 216-point total is an over-correction in our book, but we’re still going to play it safe and buy a few points here.

Best Bet: Alternative Game Total Points Over 213.5 (-150)

Raptors vs. Cavaliers Player Prop Best Bet

All the talk has been about James Harden and his turnovers, but his backcourt buddy wasn’t much better in Game 4. Donovan Mitchell was a shocking 6-for-24 from the field, including an even more shocking 2-for-12 from inside the arc. Spida is not going to miss that many easy shots again. He is the type of star player that generally answers the bell very loudly after a bad game.

He has shot 30 percent or worse from the field seven times this season, and he has averaged 31.9 points in the seven games following those duds. Five of those seven were 30 point games, and six out of seven saw him hit the 25-point milestone. We like him to score 30 at +160, but we’ll go the safe route here with 25 points still offering very reasonable -165 odds.

Best Bet: Donovan Mitchell To Record 25+ Points (-165)