The Cavs head north of the border to face the Raptors in a game featuring a pair of surprise teams. Cleveland being 5-4 is certainly not something many folks expected to see, especially considering Isaac Okoro has missed five of the games. And Toronto has not yet had Pascal Siakam suit up for them, but here they are at 6-3 now.

The Cavs will remain without three rotational forwards, meaning that Dean Wade, Dylan Windler, and Cedi Osman will maintain large roles within the offense. They all shot the ball well in the last game against Portland and will need to continue to provide those same services. Hitting the long ball can unlock a lot of hidden potential that the Cavs have going.

As for these Raptors, they went 2-0 without Scottie Barnes this week, including an impressive road win against the Knicks on Monday. They are extremely well-coached and have got just enough talent to get by. The system clearly works, and the next-man-up mentality is something that is working rather well for them.

As the teams prepare to go against one, it is clear that a battle will ensue. Two teams who are capable of hitting the three and defending at a high level, squaring off on a Friday night. It’s too bad the game isn’t going to be on National TV.

Betting Odds & Lines

The spread for the game is set at TOR -6. The over/under is 212.5 points. The CLE moneyline is +194, while the TOR line is -245.

Cleveland Seeking Another Key Road Win

With away wins against the Clippers and Nuggets to boot, the Cavs have proven that their newfound effort can travel. And going to another country for the first time since before the pandemic, it’ll be interesting to see how the team fares. They have a tall task in front of them.

As far as shooting goes, they probably will not be 50% from deep again. They need to space things out and maintain a balance out there. They’ve got to hit their long balls from time to time but have to attack the basket, especially when it’s the shorter Precious Achiuwa that is on the floor.

Look for the bigs for CLE to try and maintain the pace of the game on both ends. Protecting the rim and scoring inside.

Raps Seeking Seventh Win in 10 Games

It has not mattered that Pascal Siakam is yet to play this year, as he recovers from labrum surgery. Nor does it mean much that Goran Dragic has been an afterthought in the rotation, wasting his talent for one of the last few years. It means so little because this team is set.

They have the talent they need, and all of the hard workers getting the minutes they have to in order to ensure wins. They have got Nick Nurse and Fred VanVleet, and truly, the rest of the pieces just fit in so perfectly.

They’ll hope for another big OG Anunoby game.

Cavs Pull a Suprise

The underdog Cavs will be leaving Canada with a win. You heard it here.

Betting Picks:

• CLE +7.00
• Under 212.5