The following preview was taken from the Basketball Service newsletter. Three weeks into the new NBA season, the BBC Basketball service has made a great start..........bets 33/ stakes 33 units/ strike rate 59.38 % / ROI 18.7 %. Full season rates, up to the completion of the post season, have also been reduced by 10% .

Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors

Recommendation: Cavs - 6

Odds:  1.97

Bookmaker: Sbo

Stake: 1 unit (flat staking)

This is a key statement game for Cleveland. Evidently the rest of the pack in the East (Atlanta, Boston, Indiana) will have a very hard time trying to catch Toronto for Number 2 seed in the Conference. It will be Cavs against Raptors, 2 horses race till the end, bar any major pieces’ injuries of course.

Cleveland already took the first game in this season’s series, a close win on the road, 94-91. Since that game in the beginning of the season, LBJ and Cleveland just cruise through all opposition, playing with great chemistry and ease, allowing only a single close defeat by Atlanta.

Toronto have been doing great too, 7-2 record. The thing I like most about Raptors is that they are a ‘’straightforward’’ team. They usually crush weaker teams easily and struggle against the elite teams, which is pretty much stating the obvious but surprisingly big number of NBA teams behave just the opposite J

Albeit Raptors play good on the road, their home floor is their fortress. Not surprisingly, they have had much success against Cavs in Toronto last season, both in regular games and in the play-offs, but have been beaten easily on the road. 

DeRozan is scoring at will for Raptors, putting the ball in the basket from almost all possible mid-range angles with incredible efficiency. I am sure he will give Cleveland’s defenders some headaches but in the end LeBron should prevail on both ends of the floor, distributing the ball, orchestrating the offense and shutting down DeMar on the defensive end himself.

Lowry has been shaky in some games for Toronto though, just contrary of Kyrie’s excellent beginning to the season. J. R. Smith is questionable for Cavs but Channing Frye filled the spot really well in the last games, so no big deal.

LBJ and Cavs should claim another statement win here.