The Toronto Raptors will be trying to avoid a ninth straight postseason loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday when they travel to the shores of Lake Erie for Game 3 of their second-round playoff series as 4.5-point underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto hits the road in desperation mode after suffering a stunning 128-110 loss to Cleveland as a 7-point home favourite on Thursday, and now takes a 2-0 series deficit into Saturday night’s Raptors versus Cavaliers betting matchup at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Raptors squandered halftime leads in each of the first two games of the series, and blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 of the best-of-seven set before falling to Cleveland in overtime by a 113-112 score.
A dismal second-half performance also doomed the Raptors on Thursday night. After leading by as many as nine points in the second frame, the Raptors wilted in the face of the Cavaliers’ 37-point third-quarter onslaught, leading to their first consecutive losses at the Air Canada Centre this season.
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The Raptors now face the daunting task of overcoming a 2-0 playoff series deficit, a feat that has been accomplished only 19 times in the past 49 years. That reality is reflected on the NBA playoff series prices, where Toronto has tumbled to a massive +635 underdog after opening the series as -205 chalk.
The Raptors have also plunged to a distant +5000 on the NBA championship odds after peaking at a competitive +900 at the beginning of this week.
While the Raptors struggle, the Cavaliers look to have hit their stride, powered by dominating performances from LeBron James during the club’s current three-game straight-up win streak.
James put up 43 points and 14 assists in Game 2, including 25 points in the second half before leaving the game with Cleveland up by 20 with just over three minutes remaining. That followed his second triple-double of the postseason in Tuesday night’s series-opening win.
The Cavaliers now return home, where they have taken 10 of their last 11 SU from Toronto. That trend has helped lift the Cavaliers to short -850 favourites on the NBA series prices, while also vaulting Cleveland to a +700 wager to claim a second NBA championship in three years.
However, the Cavaliers have produced mixed results of late when pegged as home favourites, losing outright in two of their last five, and failing to cover in each of their past six such outings.
