Raptors NBA Betting is Back: Can Toronto Beat The Odds?
After a whirlwind preseason tour of Canada, the Toronto Raptors started their title challenge with a narrow victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. There’s a long way to go before we start dreaming of a repeat of their 2019 heroics, but is that going to stop Bodog from getting carried away with our Raptors NBA betting review? Absolutely not.
While you enjoy the best Raptors NBA betting odds in the world, let’s take a closer look at this year’s Toronto squad and how their title chances measure up against the league’s top favourites. We’ll also examine the NBA MVP odds, which include three very tempting dark horse candidates from Toronto.
NBA Betting Favourites
As usual, the Raptors are getting overlooked by the larger betting public. You can find them in the middle of the pack at +4500 on Bodog’s NBA championship futures market, well behind the following top five favourites:
Los Angeles Clippers +550
Boston Celtics +600
Golden State Warriors +600
Brooklyn Nets +700
Milwaukee Bucks +800
This is what happens when you’re the only Canadian team in the league – it even happened four years ago after Toronto traded for a legitimate superstar in Kawhi Leonard, a trade that ultimately led to the first championship in franchise history.
Leonard may be with the Clippers now, but his young supporting cast from 2018-19 is all grown up now. Fred VanVleet bet on himself and became an All-Star point guard; Pascal Siakam made All-NBA Third Team last year, and O.G. Anunoby (who now prefers his name spelled that way, instead of OG) is on the cusp of proving he’s more than just one of the best 3-and-D wings in basketball.
As excellent as these three players are, the Raptors could still use someone like Leonard to elevate their game and become “true” title contenders. That’s where Scottie Barnes steps in. The reigning Rookie of the Year is widely considered to be the cornerstone of this franchise, a superstar in the making who can play and guard all five positions on the court. It might be asking a bit much of Barnes to make that leap in just his second season, but if he does, Toronto will rocket to the top of the NBA odds list.
In the meantime, now that both Leonard and Paul George are healthy, the Clippers deserve their No. 1 spot. Don’t forget, they also have ex-Raptors swingman Norm Powell on the team, and John Wall still has something to offer now that he’s escaped the purgatory that is the Houston Rockets.
While the Clippers have been adding talent, the defending champions have pared their roster since winning the title back in June. Golden State saw their cupboard get raided when they lost several key bench players – including Otto Porter Jr, who signed with Toronto. The Warriors will need youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody to step up and fill the void if they want to keep Stephen Curry and the rest of the veterans on the championship path.
Back in the Eastern Conference, Toronto’s main competition will likely come from the Celtics, and these two teams have already butted heads twice during their two physical preseason matchups. However, Boston still have to recover from the one-year suspension of head coach Ime Udoka. Maybe the Nets will finally win the title now that they have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons all ready to roll. Or maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo can lead the Bucks to another championship. Time will tell. One thing is for sure, as the season progresses, Bodog will be on top of all your Raptors NBA betting.
NBA MVP Betting
You don’t have to play for one of the title favourites to win league MVP; Nikola Jokic has won back-to-back awards as a member of the Denver Nuggets. But if the Raptors do establish themselves as a title threat, Siakam (+10000), VanVleet (+30000) and Barnes (+50000) will look like absolute bargains at these prices.
For now, here are the top five MVP favourites at Bodog as we go to press:
Luka Doncic +400
Joel Embiid +650
Giannis Antetokounmpo +700
Kevin Durant +1000
Nikola Jokic +1000
This is a very interesting list for several reasons. Jokic may be the best player in the league right now, but voter fatigue is a real thing, and Embiid has been lobbying hard to win MVP – as have his supporters. Will Embiid’s fragile knees hold up? Do his Philadelphia 76ers (+1500) have enough secondary talent to make another title push?
Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP in his own right, and Durant (who won the award in 2014) is still one of the best players in the game when healthy. But Doncic may be ready to overtake them all. The Slovenian sensation is still just 23 years old, and he’s got a quality team surrounding him with the Dallas Mavericks. This could be the year Doncic ascends from All-NBA First Team to the top of the mountain.
NBA Betting with Crypto
There may be dozens of different ways to bet on the NBA, but one choice is clear: using cryptocurrency to place your bets – particularly your Raptors NBA betting – at Bodog Sportsbook. It’s easier, faster and more secure than using credit cards or other methods, and you’ll pay far less in fees when you make your deposits and withdrawals.
NBA crypto betting also lets you move larger (and smaller) amounts of money at once, which will come in very handy if you’re fortunate enough to cash in Barnes at +50000 when he wins MVP this year. And you also earn larger bonuses for using crypto to bet at Bodog. We accept more than just Bitcoin, by the way; Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Tether are all on the list, with more digital coins sure to join them in the near future. Check out our FAQ and Help guides to learn more, and we’ll see you courtside with Drake for this year’s Raptors title run.