Raptors vs. Cavaliers odds, line: Proven model reveals Game 1 picks for NBA playoffs matchup on Saturday, April 18

The first 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. The No. 5 Raptors (46-36) have won three of their last five games entering the NBA playoffs 2026. 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 Raptors vs. Cavaliers picks, you NEED to see what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

SportsLine's 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 2026 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 23-9 roll (72%) on top-rated NBA spread picks. Anyone following could have seen HUGE returns!

The model has simulated Raptors vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is going Over on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time!

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