Raptors vs. Cavaliers prediction, odds, spread, Game 3 time: 2026 NBA playoff picks for Thursday

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look for a commanding 3-0 series lead on Thursday’s NBA schedule when they visit the Toronto Raptors. The fourth-seeded Cavs (52-30) won each of the first two games of this first-round NBA playoffs series by double-digits. The No. 5 Raptors (46-36) have now dropped four straight road games overall but were 24-17 at home during the regular season. Cleveland is riding a 12-game postseason win streak over the Raptors and is 14-2 all-time in the playoffs versus Toronto.

Tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Raptors won all three regular-season matchups. Cleveland is the 2.5-point favorite in the latest Cavaliers vs. Raptors odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 221.5. Before making any Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks, check out the Raptors vs. Cavs predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered the first full week of the 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 24-9 roll (73%) on top-rated NBA spread picks this season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

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 Cavs vs. Raptors:

Top Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions

After 10,000 simulations of Raptors vs. Cavaliers, SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total (221.5) in over-under betting. These teams have met nine times over the last two years, and most of them have been entertaining affairs with lots of points on the scoreboard. Those nine have averaged 232.1 combined points, and both contests in this series have seen at least 220 total points.

The spread of this game of Cleveland (-2.5) also favors the Over for both teams. The Over has hit in 61% of games in which the Cavs are a road favorite, while the Over has also hit in 58% of games in which the Raptors are home underdogs. The model projects Cleveland to have the game’s top scorer, but Toronto counters with three 20-point scorers, compared to just one for the Cavs. There are 222 combined points, on average, making it a great selection for anybody targeting NBA parlay betting. See the Raptors vs. Cavaliers spread pick at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in Cavaliers vs. Raptors at FanDuel here:

How to make Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks

After simulating each possession of Cavs vs. Raptors 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can head to SportsLine to see the model’s NBA picks. 

So who wins Raptors vs. Cavaliers, and which side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Raptors vs. Cavs spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.