Raptors vs. Cavaliers prediction and odds for NBA Summer League (How to bet total)
By Peter Dewey
![Jun 22, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Gradey Dick. Jun 22, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Gradey Dick.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4411,h_2481,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/426/01h4xcx5xdmamnxnt1z7.jpg)
The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers face off in an afternoon matchup in the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday.
Toronto lost its Summer League opener – despite being set as a slight favorite over the Chicago Bulls in that matchup – scoring just 74 points.
The Cavs won their Summer League opener, riding big games from Sam Merrill and Sharife Cooper (27 points) to the win. Second-round pick Emoni Bates shot just 5-for-18 from the field in that win.
Gradey Dick (3-for-12) and the Raptors shot below 38 percent from the field against Chicago, but do they turn things around in this game?
Here are the latest odds and my best bet for this Summer League showdown:
Raptors vs. Cavaliers odds, spread and total
Spread
- Raptors +2 (-110)
- Cavaliers -2 (-110)
Moneyline
- Raptors: +110
- Cavaliers: -130
Total
- 180.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick
Between these two teams, there isn’t a ton of proven NBA talent on either rosters.
The Cavs only had one draft pick this offseason, and their first-round pick from 2022 – Ochai Agbaji – was traded in the Donovan Mitchell deal.
Isaiah Mobley (a second-round pick in 2022) and Bates are the only draft picks on the Summer League roster, but we saw guards Merrill and Cooper play well in the team’s opener.
I understand why Cleveland is favored in this spot, especially after the Raptors really struggled shooting the ball. Guard Markquis Nowell (17 points) was the team’s leading scorer on Friday.
Still, I think the best bet is on the UNDER.
The Cavs played at a fast tempo in their opener, putting up 101 points, but they also shot just over 42 percent from the field and turned the ball over 20 times. The Raptors are due for a little positive regression shooting the ball, but I have a hard time backing an OVER when the team scored just 74 points in its first game.
At 180.5, this total is just a touch too high for my liking.
Pick: UNDER 180.5 (-110)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.