Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: Cleveland -6.5, Total: 209.0

Two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams meet when the Cavaliers host the Raptors on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals last year, and the teams just might meet there once again come playoff time. Both have played very well to start the season, as the Raptors are 7-2 SU (6-3 ATS) and the Cavaliers are 8-1 SU (3-5-1 ATS). Toronto has won-and-covered in three straight games coming into this one, and the team has been lights-out offensively. In those victories, the Raptors are averaging 114.3 PPG and they shot 47.0% from the field or higher in all of those wins. They’ll look to keep that up on Tuesday, but it won’t be easy. The Cavaliers have played outstanding defense over the past two games, allowing just 93.5 PPG in wins over the Wizards and Hornets. Cleveland also happens to be 9-5 SU and 8-6 ATS when facing Toronto over the past three seasons. One trend favoring the Raptors in this game is the fact that they are 25-13 ATS after a combined score of 205 points or more over the past two seasons. They are, however, just 4-15 ATS after covering the spread in five or six of their past seven games over the past three seasons. As for injuries, PF Jared Sullinger (Foot) and PG Delon Wright (Shoulder) remain out indefinitely for the Raptors, and SG J.R. Smith (Ankle) is questionable for the Cavs.

The Raptors have looked like an elite team to start the year and SG DeMar DeRozan (34.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.4 SPG) has emerged as a superstar for Toronto. DeRozan leads the league in scoring and he has been doing it efficiently. Through nine games, DeRozan is shooting 52.8% from the field. That is particularly impressive considering the fact that he has shot the ball 24.2 times per game. Look for him to stay hot against the Cavaliers, especially if J.R. Smith is out in this one. PG Kyle Lowry (17.3 PPG, 6.8 APG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG) will, however, need to start playing better for the Raptors soon. The team has been winning games, but they’re not going to be as good as they can really be with Lowry shooting 37.5% from the floor and 28.6% from three. He was an All-Star last year, and everybody in the world knows that he is capable of playing a lot better. It’d be big for his confidence if he can outplay Kyrie Irving in this one. Another guy worth mentioning for this matchup is C Jonas Valanciunas (13.4 PPG, 10.1 RPG). Valanciunas’ size should make him a serious problem for the Cavaliers in this game. The Raptors would be wise to get him involved early on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers have opened up the season at 8-1, and they look like the favorites to win the NBA title once again. SF LeBron James (22.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.1 SPG) is shooting the ball just 17.7 times per game this season, which is the second lowest mark in his career. That has, however, led to career highs in both rebounds and assists. The game has slowed down tremendously for LeBron over the years, and he seems to always make the right reads on both ends of the floor. Look for him to flirt with a triple-double again on Tuesday. With James taking something of a backseat as a scorer, both PG Kyrie Irving (23.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.4 RPG) and PF Kevin Love (20.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG) are being counted on to lead this offense. Irving is going to need to play well in this one, as he is matched up against Lowry on Tuesday. The winner of that battle could go a long way in determining the outcome of this game. Love, meanwhile, should be able to really dominate this one. The Raptors are weakest at the power forward position, so the Cavaliers will look to go to Love plenty on Tuesday.