We've got a busy day of basketball on Boxing Day with eight games on the NBA betting board including a clash between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
It's shocking that the Raptors are even able to dress a team given that they have a total of 10 players in the league's health and safety protocols. However, the Cavs despite being 8.5-point home favorites for this contest also have multiple players on the protocol list.
It isn't easy handicapping a game like this but we'll dive into the analysis with our best free Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks and predictions for December 26.
Raptors vs Cavaliers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The line for this game opened at Cleveland -8.5 with the Over/Under at 204.5. As of 11 a.m. ET, the line has stayed steady while the total has ticked up to 205.5. When these Eastern Conference foes last played against each other on November 5, the Cavs won 102-101 as 6-point road underdogs.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Raptors vs Cavaliers predictions
Predictions made on 12/26/2021 at 11 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Raptors vs Cavaliers game info
• Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
• Date: Sunday, December 26, 2021
• Tip-off: 6:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Sportsnet 1, Bally Sports Ohio
Raptors vs Cavaliers betting preview
Injuries
Raptors: Pascal Siakam PF (Out), Gary Trent Jr. SG (Out), Fred VanVleet PG (Out), Malachi Flynn PG (Out), Precious Achiuwa C (Out), Scottie Barnes F (Out), OG Anunoby F (Out), Khem Birch PF (Out), Justin Champagnie SG (Out), Isaac Bonga (Out), Goran Dragic PG (Out), David Johnson SG (Out).
Cavaliers: Jarrett Allen C (Out), Evan Mobley C (Out), Collin Sexton PG (Out), Isaac Okoro SF (Questionable), Cedi Osman SF (Out), Ed Davis (Out), R.J. Nembhard G (Out), Dylan Windler SG (Out), Lamar Stevens PF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Cavaliers are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Cavaliers.
Raptors vs Cavaliers picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
Things were starting to look up for the Toronto Raptors at the beginning of the month. They went 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS over a seven-game stretch which saw them beat the Warriors and Bucks while falling to the Nets in overtime.
Then COVID struck and the NBA had to postpone three of Toronto's games because the Raps were unable to field the league minimum of eight players. Toronto now has a total of 10 players on the protocol list, including their top seven leading scorers, as well as two other guys that are ruled out.
The Raps have now signed several replacement players to compliment the only four regular roster guys they have available; Yuta Watanabe, Delano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk, and Chris Boucher, none of whom average more than 20 minutes per game.
The Cavaliers are coming off a road loss to the Celtics on Wednesday which snapped a six-game winning streak. However, the Cavs are still 19-13 SU this season and have gone a league-best 24-8 ATS — including a ridiculous 14-1 ATS in their last 15 games.
Cleveland is also short-handed due to the uptick in COVID cases but the situation looks less dire. They have a total of seven players on the protocol list including their formidable big man pairing of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. However, they recently cleared defensive stopper Isaac Okoro (who is listed as questionable due to conditioning) and the versatile Denzel Valentine, and have a couple of power forwards that can score in Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen.
Most importantly, their starting backcourt of Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio is intact and Garland (19.4 points and 7.3 assists per game) will likely be the best player on the floor for either side.
This is a big spread but the Raptors are practically fielding a G League roster while the Cavs at least have an NBA-caliber rotation and have played somewhat recently. Expect the best ATS team in the league to cover once again.
Prediction: Cavaliers -8.5 (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The total for this game sits at a very low 205.5 and while the Raps decimated roster should hurt them offensively, it should also affect them on the defensive end of the court. That said, it's always easier to at least put in effort on defense, even if you don't have the chemistry to click on offense, and that's what we expect from the Raps replacement players.
It's also important to note that none of the four regular Raptors roster players is comfortable running the point and Mykhailiuk might be the best ball handler. That's bad news in a league where the best offenses usually have a pair of guys that can handle and create for others.
The Cavs are third in the league in defensive rating and while the absence of Mobley and Allen will affect their rebounding and shot-altering ability in the paint, they have a pretty good replacement for that: Tacko Fall. The seven-foot-six, 316-pound monster made his first career start in Cleveland's last game and came away with 10 boards and a pair of blocks in 19 minutes. While his conditioning and mobility will be exposed by more skilled big men, he should be a massive problem for this Raptors lineup that is severely lacking in skilled scorers of any size.
With the Under 14-6 in the Cavaliers' last 20 games against a team with a losing record, back it on Sunday.
Prediction: Under 205.5 (-110)
Best bet
As we mentioned, the Cavs are shorthanded as well with as many as seven players on the COVID list and another key player in Collin Sexton suffering a season-ending injury last month. While we still like their overall lineup more than the Raptors, they are certainly hurting when it comes to depth, which could affect them down the stretch and makes the full-game spread a riskier play than we'd like.
However, they should be able to get off to a much better start than the Raps. Especially with the Cavs' superior starting talent facing off against a Toronto side that hasn't played in more than a week and will struggle to find offensive chemistry with so many new faces and a lack of facilitators. Grab Cleveland on the first-half spread.
Pick: Cavaliers first half -4.5 (-115)
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