Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
King of the North. LeClutch. MVP. LeBronto. Call LeBron James whatever you want but one thing is clear: he’s owning the Toronto Raptors.
LeBron and his Cleveland Cavaliers are now up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Raps, and betting sites back them to get the job done and complete a sweep in Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena, in front of their home fans who are starting to believe again.
The Raptors will try to delay what seems an inevitable demise, but do they really have that “it” factor that can save them when the going gets tough?
Talking points
Not-so-breaking news: the Raps are suffering from LeBron-phobia. Coach Dwane Casey called it “nerves or yips” after their Game 1 loss; however, in reality, it was LeBron and their fear of the King that’s holding them back.
This season was supposed to be Toronto’s championship year. With the Boston Celtics plagued with injuries and the Cavs struggling all season long, the East’s top seeds were well positioned to make it to the NBA Finals.
However, they can’t seem to get over that hump named “LeBron” and are now in the brink of elimination.
As what Paul Pierce said back in 2015, Toronto just don’t seem to have that “it” factor that makes one worried. And James, as it seems, knows that and is taking advantage of it.
The King has re-established his dominance against the Raps this series, with his Game 3 buzzer-beater proving that he has that “mental edge” over the Canada-based squad.
He is averaging a near triple-double of 35.67 points, 11.33 rebounds and 8.3 assists in three games against Toronto. More amazingly, LeBron has been efficient throughout, recording a 53.57 percent shooting clip while playing a league-leading 43 minutes per game.
History
Cleveland have now won nine straight postseason games against Toronto — the last two games of their conference finals in 2016, a sweep in the semis in 2017 and the first three games of their playoffs match-up this year.
The common denominator in that winning streak? LeBron.
In Game 5 and 6 of the 2016 East Finals, James scored 23 and 33 to trounce the Raptors and send the Cavs into the NBA Finals—which they eventually won against the Golden State Warriors.
And then last season, LeBron led the way in a semi-finals sweep of Toronto, much like what he is doing right now. He had three 35-point games and one 39-point explosion as he sent the All-Star duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan packing early.
It’s also interesting to note that Toronto have only won one regular-season series against the Cavs since James returned to Cleveland in the 2014-15 campaign. The Raptors finished the 2015-16 regular season with a 2-1 series victory against the Cavs.
However, besides that campaign, LeBron and the Cavs dominated them and are 9-5 overall in their head-to-head meetings over the last four years.
What are the odds?
In layman’s term, the odds of the Raptors winning Game 4 and extending the series are slim. After all, top betting sites are already expecting a sweep, with our Asian Handicap betting odds giving Toronto a +6.00 start—paying at 1.98—to balance the fight.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are given a -6.00 handicap that pays at 2.02, a clear indication of the tough task at hand for Toronto.
The Raptors are undoubtedly capable of keeping the game close, but it’s difficult to make a bet online on them considering what they have shown so far: squandering a 14-point lead in Game 1 before allowing the Cavs to cruise by in Game 2.
Then there’s Game 3 at Cleveland where they were unable to stop LeBron despite a strong fightback in the final quarter that saw them erase a 17-point deficit and tie the game with eight seconds left.
As what Coach Casey said before their Game 3 loss, they are playing for pride. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how far their “pride” can take them or if it is even enough to change their destiny.
Other notable match-ups
Eastern Conference Semi-finals Game 4
- Boston Celtics vs Philadelphia 76ers: The Celtics are also aiming for a sweep after going 3-0 up against the Sixers, whose flaws and playoff inexperience are finally showing.
Western Conference Semi-finals Game 4
- Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans are still alive and will look to win their second home game at Smoothie King Center to tie the series at 2-2.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
