The 2019-20 NBA season, expected to feature one of the widest open title chases in recent history, tips off on Tuesday night. What can Raptors fans and NBA bettors expect from the defending champs?

It’s much, much easier to repeat as the champion in the NBA than it is the NFL, NHL or Major League Baseball. That’s because one transcendent superstar makes a bigger difference in basketball than any other sport. The Golden State Warriors were going for a championship threepeat back in June but were knocked off in six games by the Raptors for the first NBA title in franchise and Canadian history.

Toronto Raptors NBA Odds

You simply don’t win a championship without at least one superstar, and the Raptors lost theirs, Kawhi Leonard, in free agency to the Los Angeles Clippers. So, a repeat is very unlikely this summer. Toronto is a +850 fifth-favourite at Sports Interaction to win the Eastern Conference and +2200 for the NBA title.

The Eastern favourite is Milwaukee at +160 – the Bucks had last season’s best record in the league and the eventual MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Leonard and the Raptors largely shut the “Greek Freak” down in rallying from a 2-0 series hole in the East Finals to win in six.

Leonard’s Clippers are the +210 Western Conference favourites as well as +333 title favourites – the Clippers have never even reached the Western Conference Finals. They also added All-Star forward Paul George in a trade from Oklahoma City. Leonard told the Clippers’ brass he would only sign there if the Clips traded for George. If they hadn’t, Leonard either would have returned to Toronto or signed with the Lakers. Thunder GM Sam Presti reportedly offered George and Russell Westbrook to the Raptors, but Masai Ujiri wasn’t ready to pay the monster price.

Six of the 15 members of last season’s All-NBA teams changed teams this summer: Leonard, George, Westbrook (to Houston), Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (to Brooklyn) and Kemba Walker (to Boston).

Pascal Siakam’s Turn As Raptors’ Focal Point

It’s standard procedure these days for the reigning NBA champions to play in the first game of the new season to raise their championship banner and hand out the title rings. Toronto will do that Tuesday in hosting rookie sensation Zion Williamson (-170 Rookie of the Year favourite) and the New Orleans Pelicans.

In addition to Leonard, the Raptors said goodbye to the unheralded Danny Green, who also came over in the DeMar DeRozan trade from San Antonio. Green was very one-dimensional as a shooter but was a legitimate 3-point threat and very good defender.

The Raptors took a chance on two younger forwards in free agency in Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as well as guard and former first-round pick Cameron Payne. Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson should anchor the second unit alongside Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka.

With all due respect to Kyle Lowry, who recently signed a one-year, $31 million extension, this is now Pascal Siakam’s team. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season – Presti demanded Siakam as part of any George/Westbrook deal – in averaging 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the regular season. Impressive considering the Cameroon-born Siakam only started playing basketball at age 16. He’s +6600 to win NBA MVP.

Should be a much bigger role this year for OG Anunoby. He showed so much promise as a rookie in 2017-18 but his shooting was a bit down last year and Anunoby missed a chunk of games due to injuries/illness. He has looked good this pre-season.

Toronto has a win total of 47.5 for this season, with the over a -159 favourite. To make the playoffs, the Raptors are -625 and +350 to miss.

2019-20 Toronto Raptors NBA Predictions

The East is still really weak at the bottom half, so the Dinos will make the playoffs unless they trade Lowry, Ibaka and Marc Gasol. However, 47.5 wins is too high by a few so go under that total at +115. Something like 44-38 and a likely first-round playoff exit.