Gameday: Raptors @ Cavaliers, October 31

On a Halloween night where the Toronto Blue Jays look to clinch the World Series, the Toronto Raptors are taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first of four NBA Cup group play games. The game comes after an 18 point loss to the Houston Rockets that showcased the issues Toronto has faced to start the year.

This season, the Raptors have struggled to deal with the plethora of size thrown at them, and have allowed teams to shoot 72.5% at the rim. Things won’t be any easier tonight, as the Raptors are still without Jakob Poeltl and will be facing Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Cavaliers Outlook

Record: 3-2 | 5th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 113.3 (17th) | Defensive Rating: 112.3 (11th) | Net Rating: +1.0 (15th)

Coming off a disappointing second round exit to the Indiana Pacers, the Cavaliers have had an injury-riddled start to their season. Their starting point guard, Darius Garland underwent toe surgery in June and is yet to make his season debut. Then, in August, it was announced that Max Strus would miss time to start the year after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot.

Despite the injuries to two of last season’s starters, the Cavaliers have managed to stay afloat. While it’s largely due to the incredible offensive output of Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 28 points per game, others in the lineup have stepped up as well. Sam Merrill — who will miss tonight’s game with a hip injury — has taken full advantage of his spot in the starting lineup, increasing his scoring from 7.2 points per game last season to 17.3 in the four games he’s played.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley. He has had a solid start to the season, continuing his defensive dominance by averaging 3.6 stocks per game. However, offensively he has changed his approach significantly, resulting in a career low effective field goal percentage. This season he’s shooting more of his shots from beyond the arc than at the rim. In fact, he’s only shooting 28% of his total shots at the rim, down from 52% last season.

The short-handed Cavaliers are coming off a 20-point loss to the Boston Celtics, and may have to lean on Mobley and their role players as they may have a lengthy injury report heading into tonight’s action.

Raptors Outlook

Record: 1-4 | 12th in Eastern Conference
Offensive Rating: 115.0 (13th) | Defensive Rating: 121.3 (29th) | Net Rating: -6.3 (22nd)

The beginning of the season for the Raptors has not gone according to plan, the defense has been frighteningly bad and the lack of size on the roster has been painfully apparent. After winning the season opener against the Atlanta Hawks, the Raptors have now dropped four straight. In those four games they’ve allowed opponents to score 120+ points in every single game, with two of them nearly reaching 140 points.

Despite the woeful start to the season, it’s still very early on, and there have been encouraging signs. Offensively, the Raptors have had a much stronger start than expected, fueled by their strong play in transition and three point shooting. While they are 26th in three point frequency, they are shooting the ball extremely well, knocking down 40.9% of those three point attempts.

The Raptors have also seen strong performances to start the year. Their wings, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and RJ Barrett are averaging a combined 63.4 points per game on over 63% true shooting. While the rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles made his first career NBA start in the game against the Rockets, and despite some foul troubles, put up 13 points on 3-4 shooting from three point range.

If there’s any glimmer of hope for this Raptors team tonight, it’s this: the Cavaliers currently rank 26th in rim shot frequency, an area we know the Raptors have struggled to guard. If they can keep those shot attempts down, they may be able to sneak out a win against a team that is a little bit banged up.

Game Info

Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: TSN

Venue: Rocket Arena

Starting Lineups (Projected)

Cleveland Cavaliers

PG: Donovan Mitchell

SG: Jaylon Tyson

SF: De’Andre Hunter

PF: Evan Mobley

C: Jarrett Allen

Toronto Raptors

PG: Immanuel Quickley

SG: RJ Barrett

SF: Brandon Ingram

PF: Scottie Barnes

C: Collin Murray-Boyles

Injury Report

Toronto Raptors

Jakob Poeltl (Back) – Out

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell (Hamstring) – Questionable

Jarrett Allen (Finger) – Questionable

Sam Merrill (Hip) – Out

Darius Garland (Toe) – Out

Max Strus (Foot) – Out

Lines

Team	Spread	Money	Total
Cleveland Cavaliers	-6.5 (-115)	-278	O 238.5 (-115)
Toronto Raptors	+6.5 (-105)	+230	U 238.5 (-105)

Odds as of October 31st, 8:45 AM

All Toronto Raptors odds are provided by NBA Betting Site Betway!

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