Oddsmakers don't like Raptors' chances of making the postseason this year

The Toronto Raptors have proved their doubters wrong before.

Back in 2021-22, Toronto wasn’t expected to do much in the regular season, before they ended up winning 48 games and advancing to the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

But unfortunately for the fans, they’ve also proved their doubters right.

Projected to have a win over under 46.5 a year ago, Toronto regressed further, winning just 41 games and falling out of postseason contention when they lost their play-in game on home court to the Chicago Bulls.

And once again, most sportsbooks are projecting a regression for Toronto this upcoming year.

DraftKings has the Raptors’ season over-under as 12th in the Eastern Conference, as they clock in at a projected 36.5 wins on the year.

The Raptors have a new coach in first-time team lead Darko Rajaković, but lost All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet and didn’t exactly make any major waves in free agency.

On the court, the most exciting newcomer is Gradey Dick, who the team picked at 13th overall in this year’s draft, while the team also added Dennis Schroder, Jalen McDaniels, and Garrett Temple as veteran additions with notable NBA experience.

How do the Raptors stack up against the Eastern Conference?

1. Boston Celtics — 54.5
2. Milwaukee Bucks — 52.5
3. Cleveland Cavaliers — 50.5
4. Philadelphia 76ers — 49.5
5. Miami Heat — 48.5
6. New York Knicks — 45.5
7. Atlanta Hawks — 42.5
8. Indiana Pacers — 38.5
9. Brooklyn Nets — 37.5
10. Chicago Bulls — 37.5
11. Orlando Magic — 36.5
12. Toronto Raptors — 36.5
13. Charlotte Hornets — 31.5
14. Detroit Pistons — 28.5
15. Washington Wizards — 24.5

The line between a middle-of-the-pack Eastern Conference team and an out-of-the-playoffs Eastern Conference team is never that far apart, but Toronto will need a pretty strong year from their whole core roster in order to find themselves in the playoff mix once again.

And what about the Western Conference?

For comparison’s sake, here’s the win over-under DraftKings has for each Western Conference squad:

1. Denver Nuggets — 54.5
2. Phoenix Suns — 51.5
3. Golden State Warriors — 48.5
4. Los Angeles Lakers — 47.5
5. Los Angeles Clippers — 46.5
6. Memphis Grizzlies — 45.5
7. Dallas Mavericks — 45.5
8. Sacramento Kings — 44.5
9. New Orleans Pelicans — 44.5
10. Minnesota Timberwolves — 44.5
11. Oklahoma City Thunder — 44.5
12. Utah Jazz — 35.5
13. Houston Rockets — 31.5
14. San Antonio Spurs — 29.5

You’ll likely notice the absence of the Portland Trailblazers, who are the lone NBA team to not have a line on DraftKings or most other major sportsbooks. The reasoning for that is directly linked to the Damian Lillard trade request earlier this summer, as his presence on the roster — or not — will have a major impact on Portland’s ceiling and floor as a team this season.

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