Toronto Raptors NBA Championship Odds Listed at +750 After Beating Sixers on Buzzer-Beater in Game 7
- The Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals for just the second time
- Toronto lost the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Sportsbooks list the Raptors as the third-favorite to win the NBA championship at +750
Today, Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard could run for mayor of Toronto if he sought the position. Premier of Ontario? Probably. Prime Minister of Canada? Perhaps.
You’ve got to love Toronto sports fans. They pretend to be so worldly, and yet at the slightest sign of success, they completely lose perspective. Leafs fans who recall Nikolai Borschevsky’s Game 7 OT in a 1993 first-round Stanley Cup series against Detroit still get misty-eyed at the memory.
Yes, Leonard’s Game 7 buzzer-beater to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers was a spectacular shot. It also won them a second-round series. There’s a long way to go yet before the excitement level exhibited Sunday night will be justified.
Ignoring the hype, the sportsbooks are taking a more realistic viewpoint, and it would appear that they are not all that impressed by the work of the Raptors. Sportsbooks list Toronto as a distant third-favorite in its NBA Championship odds.
2019 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | 2019 NBA Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Golden State | -165 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +230 |
| Toronto Raptors | +750 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +1700 |
Odds taken 05/13/19.
Toronto has never been to the NBA Finals. In 2016, the Raptors made their only previous Eastern Conference Finals appearance and lost in six games to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Raptors Shedding Bad Rap
Traditionally, the Raptors were known as the team that couldn’t get it done. They’ve won at least 51 games in each of the past three seasons and finished first in the Atlantic Division five times in the past six campaigns. But getting over the hump in the playoffs has proven to be the hill where they died.
Eastern finals, here we come! Congratulations @Raptors. #WeTheNorth https://t.co/a1W7BLlSvu
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 13, 2019
So far this spring, Leonard, acquired in the offseason from the San Antonio Spurs, has proven the elixir to past failures. He’s stepped up when they’ve needed him to and delivered the goods.
A CANADIAN HERITAGE MOMENT. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/pndqmiPHPX
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 13, 2019
He comes from a franchise with a history of getting it done when it mattered.
Bucking a Trend
To be fair, the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto’s opposition in the Eastern Conference Finals, also are without an East title. Milwaukee’s two trips to the NBA Finals and one league title in 1971 were earned while playing in the Western Conference. Since moving to the East, the Bucks are 0-3 in conference finals.
Next up: Bucks vs. Raptors pic.twitter.com/VnlVRntyz7
— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2019
While Toronto got past Philly by a solitary basket in Game 7, the Bucks cruised through the first two rounds, going 8-1. Even if you consider the Leonard- Giannis Antetokounmpo matchup a sawoff – we happen to believe the Greek Freak can beat you in more ways than Kawhi – the Bucks are simply the deeper team.
8 Wins From Greatness.
Up next: Toronto Raptors#FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/1KA5Ufx3EH
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) May 13, 2019
Milwaukee won three of four from Toronto this season. We still believe Golden State will win the NBA title, but the Bucks offer the East a much better chance of giving the Warriors a series than the Raptors do.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
