NBA Betting Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 Odds

The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to lose in this year's NBA playoffs, going a perfect 8-0 straight up and 5-3 against the spread.

That dominance has impressed oddsmakers enough to make the Cavs 10.5-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

Cleveland swept the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds, having a much easier time than they had a year ago when they lost twice to the Chicago Bulls in the conference semifinals.

Meanwhile, Toronto won each of its two series in seven games, with home court proving to be the difference against both the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat.

The Raptors are just 5-9 ATS in their 14 postseason games, though, according to the Odds Shark NBA Database, and will obviously not have the home-court edge here playing a Cavaliers team that they beat twice at the Air Canada Centre SU and ATS and lost to once at Quicken Loans Arena during the regular season.

The two home wins against Cleveland both came with Toronto as an underdog and were decided by a combined six points.

The only real advantage the Raptors seemingly have in this series is in the backcourt with point guard Kyle Lowry and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan. Lowry hit the game-winning shot and scored a career-high 43 points with nine assists in a 99-97 home victory for Toronto back on February 26.

The team closed as a 2.5-point underdog and survived a terrible performance that day from DeRozan, who totaled only six points on 1-of-11 shooting, with four of those coming on four attempts from the free-throw line.

Lowry also came up big in the last two games versus Miami, averaging 35.5 points and six assists, and his individual matchup with Kyrie Irving of the Cavs could be the key.

Cleveland star LeBron James is seeking his sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance, but he will need some help from Irving and Kevin Love to get back there this year. Love did not play past the first round last season due to a dislocated shoulder, while Irving fractured his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.