Cavaliers Host Raptors In Marquee East Clash
Eastern Conference contenders meet Tuesday as the Cavs host the Raptors.
Two of the Eastern Conference’s top sides go head-to-head Tuesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers welcome the Toronto Raptors to the Forest City.
Tip-off at Quicken Loans Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Meeting for the second time in five days, both the Raptors and Cavaliers will be looking to earn a marquee victory and take the lead in the season head-to-head.
The Story So Far
After a headline-busting offseason, Cleveland (12-7, 6-4 home) opened the season struggling to find an identity and inconsistent in its play. An indifferent 5-7 record suggested there was plenty of work to do.
Things have gone much better for David Blatt’s side since losing to Toronto on November 22.
The Cavaliers earned a seventh straight win Monday night, defeating the Brooklyn Nets 110-88 on the road. LeBron James and Co. have defeated three teams with a winning record during that stretch, and moved to the top of the Central Division standings in the process.
Now the Cavaliers will look to continue their purple patch and earn a second victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors on Tuesday night.
Toronto (16-5, 6-2 road) has proven to be one of the rare bright spots in a sorry-looking Eastern Conference.
The Raptors began the year 13-2 before injury struck. Starting shooting guard DeMar DeRozan – one of last season’s standouts north of the border – injured his groin in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on November 28. Including that game the Raptors are just 3-3 without the fifth-year player out of USC.
Playing at home, the Raptors were held close by the Denver Nuggets on Monday, but eventually emerged with a 112-107 overtime victory.
Now Dwane Casey’s side will look to make it two in a row.
Impact Players
After signing a big contract this past summer, Kyle Lowry is paying dividends for the Raptors. The guard is averaging 20.3 points and 7.2 assists per game, both team bests.
Before injury, DeRozan was a crucial part of Toronto’s offense, adding 19.4 points per game. He also led the team with 1.4 steals per game.
Shooting guard Louis Williams is having a solid season off the bench. The veteran is averaging 14.3 points in just 21.5 minutes. Center Jonas Valanciunas continues to improve, adding 11.9 points and 8.3 boards per outing.
Cleveland’s ‘Big 3’ is starting to find its rhythm. LeBron James leads the team with 24.2 points and 7.9 assists per game. Kevin Love is averaging a double-double, with 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest. Kyrie Irving is adding 21.2 points and 4.8 assists per outing.
The Cavs are getting solid outings from Anderson Varejao (10.2ppg, 7.0rpg) too, while Dion Waiters is a threat off the bench.
Head-to-Head
Cleveland leads the all-time head-to-head series 40-34.
The two sides have met twice already this season. The Raptors earned a 110-93 victory in their last trip to Cleveland on November 22, while the Cavaliers took home a 105-91 victory from Toronto this past Friday.
After Tuesday’s game, the Raptors and Cavaliers will meet once more this season, a March 4 clash at Air Canada Centre.
Injury Report
Toronto continues to play without DeMar Derozan, currently sidelined with a groin injury. No timetable for return is currently in place, although surgery has been ruled out.
Cleveland forward Mike Miller is currently listed as day-to-day with a concussion. Miller has missed two straight.
DeMar DeRozan’s absence has impacted the Raptors.
Betting Report
Below you’ll find Betting Sports’ breakdown of odds and betting trends.
Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers odds for 12/09/2014
Moneyline: At the time of writing, the moneyline had yet to be released for this game. Keep checking the link above for the latest betting lines.
Spread: Early lines saw the spread opened at 5.5 in favor of the Cavaliers.
Cleveland (9-10-0 ATS) is 5-5-0 ATS when playing at home this season, and 7-10-0 ATS when considered the favorite.
Toronto (12-9-0 ATS) is 6-2-0 ATS on the road and 2-1-0 ATS when playing as an underdog.
Playing without DeRozan, Toronto is just 2-4-0 ATS over its last six games.
Cleveland is 6-2-0 ATS in its last eight games against the Raptors, but just 2-6-0 ATS in the last eight head-to-head meetings played in Cleveland.
Total: The total opened at 207.5 but has already slipped to 206 with most sportsbooks.
Toronto (13-8-0 O/U) has favored the over this season, while Cleveland (7-11-1 O/U) has preferred the under.
The total has gone under in seven of the last eight head-to-head meetings, and four of the last six the two sides have played in Cleveland.
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