The Toronto Raptors went all-in last season on trades to reach the franchise’s first NBA Finals but again came up short.

Toronto Raptors 2017 Odds

Expectations are a bit lower for the 2017-18 campaign, at least according to Sports Interaction oddsmakers. Toronto opens the season Thursday at home against rebuilding Chicago, and something new this year at Sports Interaction will be betting previews of every Raptors game. They could get off to a slow start, though, with a tough six-game West Coast trip starting next Monday – including an Oct. 25 visit to the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who are heavy -161 favourites on the NBA odds board to win their third title in the past four seasons.

The Raptors acquired Serge Ibaka from Orlando and P.J. Tucker from Phoenix last season in an aggressive attempt by GM Masai Ujiri to supplant LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers as the East’s best team. It was a risk because both Ibaka and Tucker were set for free agency, and it was simply not going to be financially possible for the Raptors to re-sign both while also keeping All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry.

Toronto finished the regular season at 51-31, the second-most wins in franchise history, but its three-year reign as Atlantic Division champion ended because the Boston Celtics led the Eastern Conference in victories. The Raptors ranked eighth in the NBA in scoring, averaging a franchise-record 106.9 points. They were 42-16 when scoring more than 100. DeMar DeRozan averaged a career-best 27.3 points per game (fifth in league) and was named third-team All-NBA.

The third-seeded Raptors were pushed hard in the first round of the playoffs against No. 6 Milwaukee but prevailed in six. However, Toronto was no match for Cleveland in the East semifinals in being swept out easily. Lowry missed the final two games with a sprained ankle.

Toronto Raptors 2017 Transactions 

This offseason, the Raptors said goodbye to Tucker, who signed with Houston, and fellow forward Patrick Patterson, one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He signed with Oklahoma City. Patterson never put up huge numbers, but the Raptors were always a better team with him on the court. In fact, Toronto had a net rating of +10.7 when Patterson was on the court in 2016-17, the 10th highest net rating for any player who had at least 1,000 minutes.

The Raptors were able to re-sign Lowry and Ibaka. Lowry averaged a career-high 22.4 points and shot a career-best 41.2 percent from 3-point range but was limited to 60 games due to injury. Ibaka averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 79 games between Orlando and Toronto.

Forward DeMarre Carroll was traded to Brooklyn along with a 2018 first-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick in a salary dump. Carroll never lived up to expectations (and was injury-prone) after leaving Atlanta on a big free-agent deal before the 2015-16 season. Lowry’s backup, Cory Joseph, was traded to Indiana in a sign-and-trade agreement that allowed the Raptors to acquire/sign free-agent guard C.J. Miles. He shot a career-best 41 percent on 3-pointers last season.

Toronto needed 3-point shooting and Joseph was expendable with Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet able to back up Lowry. The Raptors selected University of Indiana small forward OG Anunoby with the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Anunoby is incredibly athletic and was projected as a Top 10 pick before tearing his ACL in January.

Toronto Raptors NBA Odds

Coach Dwane Casey’s club is given a win total of 48.5 and is a +339 second-favourite to the Celtics (-352) to win the Atlantic. Boston has only four players returning from last year’s team that made the Eastern Conference Finals but looks better on paper with the offseason additions of All-Stars Kyrie Irving (trade from Cleveland) and Gordon Hayward (free agent from Utah). The Raps’ NBA odds at +1300 to win the East – the Cavs are -154 favourites – and +5000 for the title. That’s ninth-best.

On the player props, DeRozan is +3500 to win the scoring title. Houston’s James Harden is +180 and defending scoring champion Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City is +195. Westbrook is +600 to win a second straight MVP Award, with San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and Cleveland’s LeBron James as +400 co-favourites. DeRozan is +6000 and Lowry +10000.

You can also bet on individual numbers for each member of Toronto’s projected starting five. DeRozan is given an over/under scoring average of 25.5 points, with the under a slight favourite. Lowry has totals of 20.5 points and 6.5 assists. Jonas Valanciunas is listed at 9.5 rebounds per game, Ibaka at 13.5 points per game and Miles at 10.5 ppg.

Toronto Raptors Picks and Predictions

This team on paper isn’t quite as good as last year’s, and Patterson will be missed. It should win around 46 games (go under 48.5), finish second to Boston in the division and make the playoffs again. The conference semifinals are likely the ceiling. Go over on both of Lowry’s totals but under on DeRozan’s points. Under on Valanciunas rebounds (he could be a trade candidate), over on Ibaka points and under on Miles.