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

The fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers will try to pull off an upset in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference second-round playoff series against the top-seeded Toronto Raptors on Tuesday when they visit them as road underdogs at the sportsbooks.

The Cavaliers are coming off a seven-game series win over the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round but went just 1-6 against the spread.

NBA point spread: The Raptors opened as six-point favorites; the total is at 218, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark (line updates and matchup report).

NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 111.2-100.7, Raptors (NBA picks on every game).

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Why the Cavaliers can cover the spread

Even though Cleveland has a poor spread record in its last eight games dating back to the regular season at 1-7 ATS, this team had covered 10 of 12 games prior to that. And while it is hard to say the Cavaliers are due to cover in this spot, they still have the best player in the world in LeBron James and may have knocked out a more difficult opponent already in the Pacers.

The Cavaliers are 11-2 straight up in the past 13 meetings with the Raptors and 9-3-1 ATS in those games, ending Toronto's postseason each of the last two years, including a sweep in 2017.

Why the Raptors can cover the spread

Toronto disposed of the eighth-seeded Washington Wizards in six games to advance to the second round following a franchise-best 59-23 mark during the regular season. The Raptors went 4-2 ATS against the Wizards as well, capped by a 102-92 victory as two-point road favorites in Game 6 on Friday.

The Raptors will obviously have the benefit of a few extra days of rest here, and that should only help them in their quest to beat Cleveland in the playoffs for the first time ever. The main matchup advantage Toronto has in this series is in the backcourt with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry leading the way.

Smart betting pick

If the Raptors can finally get past the Cavaliers, they might well make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. But first they need to win Game 1 convincingly and send an early message to the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions that they are indeed for real.

James may be the best player on the court, but Toronto has the better team and will win and cover the spread in the series opener.

NBA betting trends

Cleveland is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games.

The total has gone under in six of Cleveland's last eight games.

Toronto is 1-5-1 ATS in its last seven games against Cleveland.

All NBA odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.