
How the Stanley Cup will be won: Wyshynski's predictions for the entire bracket
Unpredictable 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Predictions and Surprises
The Raptors face the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA playoffs on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. The Cavaliers are favored by 8.5 points, with an over/under of 219.5 total points.
Mentioned in this story

Imagn Images
The first 2026 NBA playoff game will feature a battle between two Eastern Conference foes, the Toronto Raptors against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 takes place on Saturday afternoon, and James Harden will begin another postseason run with a new team. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers (52-30) have won four of five games entering the NBA playoffs 2026. The No. 5 Raptors (46-36) have won three of their last five games entering the postseason. The Raptors won all three regular-season meetings.
Tipoff is at 1 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The latest Raptors vs. Cavaliers odds have Cleveland as 8.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 219.5. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Raptors picks,Ā check out the Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 inĀ bettingĀ profit for $100 players on its top-ratedĀ NBA picksĀ over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following itsĀ NBA bettingĀ advice atĀ sportsbooksĀ and onĀ betting appsĀ could have seen huge returns.
Game 1 between the Raptors and Cavaliers starts at 1 p.m. ET.
The Cavaliers are 8.5-point favorites against the Raptors, with an over/under of 219.5 total points.
The SportsLine Projection Model has a 72% success rate on top-rated NBA spread picks this season, with a record of 23-9.

Unpredictable 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Predictions and Surprises
Jeremie Frimpong admits his first season at Liverpool has been tough.
Pakistan reveals 16-member squad for Bangladesh Test series with fresh coaching staff.

Check out Riddick's favorite prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft, from first-round locks to exciting sleepers!
Eduardo Camavinga is on Manchester United's radar as they seek midfield reinforcements.
Atletico Madrid remains firm on Alvarez's future while ignoring La Masia midfielder
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
Now, the model has simulated Raptors vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NBA picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and NBA betting lines for Cavaliers vs. Raptors:
| Raptors vs. Cavaliers spread: | Cavs -8.5 at FanDuel |
| Raptors vs. Cavaliers over/under: | 219.5 points |
| Raptors vs. Cavaliers money line: | Cavs -353, Raptors +278 |
| Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks: | See picks at SportsLine |
| Raptors vs. Cavaliers streaming: | Fubo (Try for free) |
After 10,000 simulations of Cavs vs. Raptors, SportsLine's model isĀ going Over on the total (219.5) in over-under betting. Two of the Raptors' last three games have gone over the total. Three of the Cavs last four games have gone over the total. The total has gone Over in eight of the Raptors' last 11 games played on a Saturday.
Five players are expected to score in double figures for the Raptors, including Brandon Ingram with 21.9 points. Just four players are projected to score double figures for the Cavaliers, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 28.1 points. With that, 224 combined points are scored, per 10,000 simulations run, as the Over hits 54.4% of the time.Ā See the Raptors vs. Cavaliers spread pick at SportsLine.
After simulating each possession 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time.Ā You can head to SportsLine to see the model's NBA picks.
So who wins Cavs vs. Raptors, and which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations?Ā Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Raptors vs. Cavaliers line to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.