Playoffs Preview: The oddsmakers still don’t believe in the Raptors

The NBA Playoffs are back, bubble and all.

The Toronto Raptors kick off their title defence against the seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets looking to repeat as NBA Champions. You don’t have to look very far for the last team to do it with the Golden State Warriors winning back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.

Odds are, you’re going to want to know how bettors and Vegas feel about Toronto’s chances of bringing it back home – this time, without superstar Kawhi Leonard.

The early signs are promising.

According to Oddshark, Toronto’s best odds are +900 ($100 wins you $900) – good for fourth shortest in the league, implying a 7.7 percent chance to win the title this summer. The first-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks are tied for the best odds (+250), followed by Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers (+270).

Gamblers seem to like the Raps’ number as nearly 30 percent of them have Toronto as the likeliest team to repeat as champions.

Behind Toronto are the Houston Rockets as a +1200 pick, with the Boston Celtics at +1700, respectively.

The Raptors entered the Orlando bubble on a four-game winning streak and subsequently went 7-1 in seeding play, beating the aforementioned Lakers and Bucks with their only loss coming against the third-seeded Boston Celtics.

Toronto finished with the league’s second-best record (53-19) and second-ranked defense.

Other bets to keep an eye on

To win it all: 

Los Angeles Lakers (+250)/ Milwaukee Bucks (+250)/Los Angeles Clippers (+270)

The only three teams projected to have a better chance of taking home the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It’s difficult to find value in any of these three bets, but the ‘smart money’ is on the Clippers:

Kawhi, oh my.

A personal 11-0 run for @kawhileonard. pic.twitter.com/zMHBgBnBSD

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) August 10, 2020

Yes, *that* Kawhi Leonard. The same player that led the Raptors to a championship, and the Spurs before that is now on a new team with an arguably deeper cast. Considering the Clippers have slightly better odds than the other two contenders ($100 wins you $270) this is the best value bet of the three.

Beasts in the East:

Cover your eyes Raptors fans – but the best value for bettors may not be in the six. The Boston Celtics have looked dominant lately, especially against Toronto. They are young, healthy, and experienced enough to give plenty of teams trouble.

"The Boston Celtics should win the Eastern Conference this year under these circumstances.”

—@JalenRose pic.twitter.com/m0v2xGifCc

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 5, 2020

At +330 ($100 wins you $330) to come out of the Eastern Conference, there is plenty of upside.

Alright, but how do I get rich? 

If sports betting was easy, anyone could do it. Long shots rarely pan out, but there may be one bet to have a little fun with in the Western Conference. The Dallas Mavericks have the best offense in NBA history and now get to unleash it in the playoffs.

Luka Doncic is an MVP candidate in the making and he’s only 21 years old! Those fresh legs could carry the Mavericks further than most people think. At +1600 ($100 bet wins you $1600) Dallas could lead to a big payday for someone willing to take the risk.