Toronto Raptors over Cleveland easily the best NBA odds
By Phil Watson
The Toronto Raptors may have 4 losses in their last 6 games, but if you’re looking at the NBA odds for Monday, the Raptors over Cleveland is an easy pick.
UPDATED as of 1:45 p.m. Eastern. Information that has changed from initial publication will be indicated in bold italics.
The defending champion Toronto Raptors have hit a rough patch over the last couple of weeks, losing four of their last six games and going just 1-3 at home in that span, but if the NBA odds tell us anything about Monday, it’s that the Raptors are a good bet to cover the 12½ points they are laying at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That betting line and the rest listed here come courtesy of The Action Network.
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Toronto’s recent string of losses at Scotiabank Arena came against the Heat, Rockets and Clippers and if you look at their eight losses on the season, none of them can be considered a bad loss. Houston, at 17-9, has the worst record of any of the teams to hand Toronto a defeat so far this season.
The Raptors haven’t lost a game at home to a sub-.500 team since March 24, when they were beaten 115-114 by the Hornets.
The Cavs have won just once in their last 10 games and are 3-7 against the spread in that span. That includes a 1-3 ATS record on the road. Cleveland is 4-12 ATS over its last 16 games. Toronto has just one cover in its last six games and this is their first meeting with the Cavaliers this season.
The only real health concern for the Raptors is starting guard Fred VanVleet, who has missed three straight games with a contusion on his right knee and is listed as doubtful on the early injury report for Monday. Before he was hurt, he was giving Toronto almost 19 points and more than seven assists per game.
With LeBron James long gone to Hollywood, the Cavaliers just don’t have anything for the Raptors they can’t handle.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto Raptors (minus 12½)
TV: Fox Sports Ohio, SportsNet1
Tickets: Scotiabank Arena, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Records: Cleveland 6-20 (10-14-2 ATS, 5-7-1 road ATS), Toronto 17-8 (13-11 ATS, 8-4 home ATS)
Availability report (all injury information as of 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday)
Cleveland: OUT–Tyler Cook (two-way, G League), Dean Wade (two-way, G League), Dylan Windler (stress reaction, lower left leg).
Toronto: OUT–Oshae Brissett (two-way, G League), Dewan Hernandez (G League), Stanley Johnson (stress reaction, left groin), Shamorie Ponds (two-way, G League), Matt Thomas (left middle finger fracture); DOUBTFUL–Fred VanVleet (right knee contusion).
There are six other games on Monday’s NBA schedule, as well:
Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons (minus 5)
TV: NBC Sports Washington+, Fox Sports Detroit
Tickets: Little Caesars Arena, 7 p.m. Eastern
Records: Washington 7-17 (12-11-1 ATS, 7-6-1 road ATS), Detroit 11-15 (11-14-1 ATS, 7-6 home ATS)
Availability report
Washington: OUT–Thomas Bryant (stress reaction, right foot), Jordan McRae (right ring finger surgery), C.J. Miles (left wrist surgery), Moritz Wagner (sprained left ankle), John Wall (left Achilles rehab); QUESTIONABLE–Isaiah Thomas (left calf strain).
Detroit: Jordan Bone (two-way, G League), Sekou Doumbouya (G League), Reggie Jackson (stress reaction, left lumber spine), Louis King (two-way, G League), Khyri Thomas (right foot surgery); QUESTIONABLE–Andre Drummond (left eye inflammation), Blake Griffin (left knee soreness).
Notable: This game would have been much more of a confidence pick were it not for the status of both Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin, although the Detroit Pistons won in Houston Saturday without Drummond and with very little input from Griffin, who was 0-for-7 and didn’t play in the second half. The Washington Wizards are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games, winning just twice.
Detroit is hosting the Wizards for the first time this season after Washington blasted the Pistons in D.C. back on Nov. 4, 115-99, as four-point home favorites. Detroit is 5-2 ATS over its last seven games, but has covered just once in its last three meetings against the Wizards, who are 10-5 ATS in their last 15 against the Pistons.
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets (minus 9½)
Line has shifted from Rockets (minus 10)
TV: KENS5 San Antonio, AT&T Sports Net-Southwest
Tickets: Toyota Center, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: San Antonio 10-15 (6-18-1 ATS, 3-7-1 road ATS), Houston 17-9 (12-14 ATS, 6-7 home ATS)
Availability report
San Antonio: OUT–Drew Eubanks (two-way, G League), Keldon Johnson (G League), Luka Samanic (G League), Quinndary Weatherspoon (two-way, G League); QUESTIONABLE–Lonnie Walker IV (right knee contusion).
Houston: OUT–Michael Frazier (two-way, G League), Eric Gordon (right knee arthroscopy), Gerald Green (left cuneiform fracture), Nene (left adductor strain); PROBABLE–Austin Rivers (left finger sprain).
Notable: The San Antonio Spurs return from Mexico having played an NBA-record four consecutive overtime games, during which they are 2-1-1 ATS — including a 135-133 win over the Houston Rockets on Dec. 3 in San Antonio. But the Spurs are just 4-12-1 ATS over their last 17 games and 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10, even as they have split them SU at 5-5.
The Rockets have a couple of bad home losses in a row (Sacramento and Detroit) at Toyota Center and are just 2-4 ATS over their last six home games. Houston has covered only once in its last five games overall and in the last three meetings between the Spurs and Rockets, each team has covered once with one game ending with a push.
Miami Heat (minus 4½) at Memphis Grizzlies
Line shifted from Heat (minus 5½)
TV: Fox Sports Sun, Fox Sports Southeast-Memphis
Tickets: FedExForum, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: Miami 19-7 (17-8-1 ATS, 7-6-1 road ATS), Memphis 9-17 (11-15 ATS, 6-9 home ATS)
Availability report
Miami: OUT–Goran Dragic (right groin strain), James Johnson (personal), KZ Okpala (G League), Dion Waiters (team suspension), Justise Winslow (lower back strain).
Memphis: OUT–Grayson Allen (right ankle soreness), Andre Iguodala (not with team), Josh Jackson (G League), John Konchar (two-way, G League), Yuta Watanabe (two-way, G League); QUESTIONABLE–Jae Crowder (left ankle soreness).
Notable: The Miami Heat have cooled off a bit in terms of getting covers, going just 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games after a blistering 12-3-1 start. The Memphis Grizzlies are also 5-5 ATS over their last 10. Keeping with the similarities theme, the Heat are 2-3 ATS in their last five on the road; the Grizzlies are 2-3 ATS in their last five at FedEx Forum.
The Heat will be going for a season sweep of Memphis, having won on Oct. 23 in Miami, 120-101, as 6½-point home favorites. The Grizzlies have lost seven of their last eight games SU at home, while Miami has covered only twice in its last six road games. But the Heat are 5-0 ATS in their last five overall against Memphis.
Dallas Mavericks at Milwaukee Bucks (minus 11)
TV: Fox Sports Southwest-Dallas, Fox Sports Wisconsin, NBA TV
Tickets: Fiserv Forum, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: Dallas 17-8 (15-10 ATS, 9-2 road ATS), Milwaukee 24-3 (15-12 ATS, 8-6 home ATS)
Availability report
Dallas: OUT–Antonius Cleveland (two-way, G League), Luka Doncic (right ankle sprain), Josh Reaves (two-way, G League), Isaiah Roby (G League).
Milwaukee: OUT–Dragan Bender (right ankle sprain), Eric Bledsoe (right fibula avulsion fracture), Frank Mason (two-way, G League), Cameron Reynolds (two-way, G League).
Notable: For the Dallas Mavericks, Monday night is the beginning of at least two weeks without all-everything power-point guard-forward Luka Doncic, who sprained his ankle early in Saturday’s overtime loss to the Heat. The Mavericks are 11-3 ATS over their last 14 and have been the closest thing to a road lock as there is in the NBA at 9-2 ATS on the season.
But that was with a healthy Doncic. And the Milwaukee Bucks have been sort of good lately, winning 18 straight games overall. Milwaukee is 7-1 ATS over its last eight games. This is the first meeting this season between the Bucks and Mavericks, with Milwaukee sweeping SU last season and going 1-1 ATS.
Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder (minus 6)
TV: NBC Sports Chicago, Fox Sports Oklahoma
Tickets: Chesapeake Energy Arena, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: Chicago 10-18 (14-14 ATS, 6-6 road ATS), Oklahoma City 11-14 (16-9 ATS, 8-4 home ATS)
Availability report
Chicago: OUT–Chandler Hutchison (right shoulder soreness, had been DOUBTFUL), Adam Mokoka (two-way, G League), Otto Porter (left foot fracture), Max Strus (two-way, G League); AVAILABLE–Ryan Arcidiacono (right elbow discomfort, had been PROBABLE), Wendell Carter Jr. (left abdomen maintenance/tailbone contusion, had been PROBABLE), Kris Dunn (right knee, patellar tendon maintenance, had been PROBABLE), Daniel Gafford (right hamstring tightness, had been QUESTIONABLE), Zach LaVine (right shin contusion/right shoulder strain, had been PROBABLE); Tomas Satoransky (left toe soreness, had been PROBABLE); Denzel Valentine (left ankle maintenance, had been PROBABLE).
Oklahoma City: OUT–Deonte Burton (G League), Hamidou Diallo (right elbow hyperextension sprain), Kevin Hervey (two-way, G League), Justin Patton (G League), Andre Roberson (left knee injury recovery); QUESTIONABLE–Terrance Ferguson (right hip soreness).
Notable: The Chicago Bulls continue to be a conundrum in terms of consistency, but they are 4-1 ATS over their last five games and have covered in three of their last four road games. The Oklahoma City Thunder are also 4-1 ATS over their last five and have covered five of their last six at home.
It’s been almost a year since the last time these two teams saw each other — Dec. 17, 2018, to be precise — and these teams have split their last 10 meetings right down the middle; 5-5 straight up, 5-5 ATS. If you’re looking for a decisive factor, Chicago is in the top half of the league in ATS record at 14-14, but the Thunder are the second-best in the NBA at 16-9.
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns — (pick ’em)
TV: NBC Sports Northwest, Fox Sports Arizona
Tickets: Talking Stick Resort Arena, 9 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local)
Records: Portland 10-16 (11-15 ATS, 7-8 road ATS), Phoenix 11-14 (14-10-1 ATS, 7-7-1 home ATS)
Availability report
Portland: OUT–Zach Collins (left shoulder dislocation), Rodney Hood (left Achilles tendon rupture), Jusuf Nurkic (left leg fracture); QUESTIONABLE–Nassir Little (back spasms).
Phoenix: OUT–Deandre Ayton (league suspension), Jared Harper (two-way, G League), Jalen Lecque (G League); QUESTIONABLE–Devin Booker (right forearm contusion); PROBABLE–Cameron Johnson (left hip soreness), Dario Saric (low back soreness).
Notable: The uncertainty about Devin Booker’s forearm injury has left this line in total flux — both teams are favored somewhere. The Portland Trail Blazers are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games and have lost four of their last six SU. The Phoenix Suns have dropped 10 of 14 SU and have won just once SU in their last seven games at home (including one in Mexico City).
The Suns are 1-3-1 ATS over their last five at home (including one in Mexico City), while Portland has gotten a cover just once in its last four road games. This is the first meeting of the season between the former Pacific Division rivals and while the Trail Blazers have won the last 10 SU against Phoenix, the teams are 5-5 ATS during that span.