One of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season has got to be the Toronto Raptors. Projected to win 47 games on the year, the Raptors have a 31-33 record with 18 games left to play. There is no chance they finish the season going 15-3, as they have the toughest strength of schedule of any team in the NBA. With Toronto’s roster, they should be a lock for the playoffs every year – not fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Despite their inconsistency, all season, the team from the 6ix is still within reach of an automatic playoff spot. They are just three and a half games behind Brooklyn for sixth place in the East and are fully healthy for the first time in months. Winning seven of their past ten games, the team has propelled themselves into the conversation, and as of now, they would qualify for the play-in tournament.
Led by Nick Nurse, one of the best coaches in the league, the sky’s the limit for the Kings of the North. Let’s look into the Toronto Raptors’ current odds to make the playoffs on the FanDuel Sportsbook and break down whether or not that bet has any value.
The Worst Position In SportsHeading into the trade deadline, Canada’s team was expected to blow it all up. OG Anunoby was one of the most sought-after players in the entire league, and Fred VanVleet was open about wanting a trade. There was even talk of Gary Trent Jr moving on, and the fans wanted to rebuild around Scottie Barnes.
But Toronto’s front office had different things in mind. Instead of selling, they were buyers at the deadline, addressing the Center position by trading for Jakob Poeltl. The team then quickly moved to sign Will Barton to add some bench scoring after the Washington Wizards cut him.
These moves made it clear that the front office was not ready to blow things up but left the Raptors in a bit of a predicament. They are clearly not playing well enough to be a contender for the championship, but they are not bad enough for a spot in the lottery. In the middle of the pack – they are in the WORST position in sports.
However, not all hope is lost in Toronto. The squad from the North has been a top ten team in the NBA since 2023 began, winning 56% of their games. Furthermore, Poeltl has been a revelation for the team. He is averaging 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks per game since the trade and has visibly made the frontcourt more sturdy. The Raptors have won five of the eight games he has played in.
“Toronto is definitely way better than their record, everyone knows that around the league.” Barton said when asked about his new team. “Well talented, well coached, well-run organization, so hopefully, we can get into the playoffs.”
With just 19 games left, breaking into the top six of the Eastern Conference will be hard. Nonetheless, the Raptors should still be confident in making at least the play-in tournament. From there, they can use their experience to break into the first round.
Their biggest competitors for the spots will be Washington, Chicago, and Indiana, but all three are trending in the opposite direction. Toronto has three more games against the Wizards this season and can distance themselves by winning those.
Buy or Sell: Buy into the Raptors to MAKE the Playoffs at +118.
