The Toronto Raptors finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, but questions persisted about their ability to finish the deal in the playoffs. Those are only getting louder after the Cleveland Cavaliers came into town and stole Game 1 to open up their Eastern Conference second round series.
There is a long way to go in which should be a competitive series, but this is already a critical one for the Raptors, who would be in dire straits with a Game 2 loss. The oddsmakers still believe in Toronto’s ability as it is the favorite to win and even up the series.
The Cavaliers needed seven games to knock off the Pacers in the opening round but started fast in this series and would love to pull off another upset in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 2 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 6 p.m. ET at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Raptors are listed at six-point favorites for Game 2, which was the same spread as in the opener. The early action has come in pretty evenly although Cleveland may be a popular choice based on the job it did in Game 1.
The scoring total is listed at 212.5 points. The Cavaliers are +207 underdogs to win this game after doing so at a similar moneyline value in the first game. Toronto is listed as the -250 favorite to take care of business straight up.
Last Time Out
If Game 1 was any indication, this could be a really fun series. Toronto led the entire length of the game but Cleveland came back to tie it on a late jumper by LeBron James to send the game to overtime.
The game remained just as competitive in overtime. Trailing by a point, Toronto had one last chance to win it but a three-pointer from Fred VanVleet with three seconds to go fell short as Cleveland sneaked out a 113-112 win.
James finished with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the win for Cleveland while Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith combined for another 49 points. Center Jonas Valanciunas finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds for Toronto while DeMar DeRozan added 22 points.
Player To Watch
Tristan Thompson -- The Cavaliers big man didn’t play much in the beginning of the playoffs but has transformed into a big piece of the puzzle of late. Thompson didn’t play at all in Game 5 against the Pacers and then scored only three points in Game 6. But he was counted on heavily in the do-or-die Game 7 and came through, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Thompson once again played a huge role in Game 1 against Toronto. He didn’t start but played 26 minutes and finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. It seems like Thompson has re-inserted himself as a central figure on the Cavs and if he can play well it will be a big boost to the team’s chances.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Raptors went cold down the stretch yet still had a chance to win both at the end of regulation and overtime. Even though James is the best player in this series, Toronto is still the better team. Take the Raptors to win this game and it should be rather easily. The Raptors are the choice on the spread. Wait until close to game-time as the odds should shift toward Toronto as the majority of the money will likely land on Cleveland following the Game 1 upset in NBA basketball betting.
NBA ATS Pick: Raptors 110, Cavaliers 103
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