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2024-25 Toronto Raptors Predictions and Odds to Win NBA Finals

by Spencer Toth - 10/16/2024

Toronto Raptors predictions Scottie Barnes

The Toronto Raptors are heading into a rebuild after trading away their franchise cornerstones at last year's trade deadline. Just five years adrift from their 2019 championship, the Raptors couldn’t be further from running it back this year. Can they make a surprise push for a play-in tournament position, or will it be back to the lottery picks for the Raptors?

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Toronto Raptors Offseason Recap

The Raptors will struggle to compete this season, and their offseason moves didn’t do them any favors. They lost their best shooter in Gary Trent Jr. over the summer. Trent Jr. knocked down 39.3% of his triples last season, scoring 13.7 PPG in the process. While Trent Jr. couldn’t be counted on for a consistent 10 PPG, he had the potential to explode off the bench. Players who can heat up in an instant like Trent Jr. are what the Raptors need this season, and it puts a lot of pressure on sophomore Gradey Dick to fill his shoes. 

The Raptors lost their first-round pick in the Jakob Poeltl trade a couple years ago. So, despite their low finish, they didn’t get a high draft pick. The Raptors had a late first round draft pick, picking up Ja’Kobe Walter with the 19th selection. Walter will get plenty of minutes with the Raptors this season and could develop into a mainstay on the Raptors roster. Walter could help fill the shoes of Trent Jr. as he has proven he isn’t shy to let it fly from behind the arc. His 6-foot-5 frame with a 6-foot-10 wingspan allows him to shoot over other guards on the perimeter. Overall, the Raptors were very quiet in the offseason and will be prioritizing development over wins this season. 

Toronto Raptors Season Expectations

Jakob Poeltl said it best himself. “We’re capable of winning some games, but that’s not the main focus for us.” When your starting center is saying that winning isn’t the priority, fans shouldn’t be expecting anything special from the Raptors this season. 

There are still bright spots on the Toronto lineup. Scottie Barnes is entering his fourth NBA season fresh off his first All-Star selection last year. He inked a long-term extension over the summer and will be the cornerstone of the Raptors rebuild. Barnes posted career highs in almost every major offensive statistic last season and is starting to look like a young Giannis Antetokounmpo. Barnes is able to drive to the rim with authority rarely seen from players his age. He also turned into a distributor last season, routinely bringing the ball up the court and posting 6.1 assists per game. 

The Raptors have a few other young pieces to build around. They received RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley from the Knicks as a part of the OG Anunoby package last year. Both new arrivals are under 25 years old and have the potential to develop into a mainstay in the Raptors starting five. Quickley is probably the more exciting prospect of the two after Barrett failed to build on his promising rookie campaign. Quickley can fire off deep shots with his quick release, and his effort on the defensive end cannot be ignored either. The expectations may be low for the Raptors, but that doesn’t mean there aren't bright spots hidden among their lineup of fringe NBA players. 

Toronto Raptors Schedule Breakdown

Toronto opens up the year with five of their first seven games taking place north of the border. They then go on a five-game road trip against the Nuggets, Kings, Lakers, and Bucks. Due to their Canadian location, the Raptors often have more long road trips and mighty home stands than the rest of the league. They have four separate 4+ game road trips, and an equal number of long home stands. 

Toronto Raptors Odds

The Raptors have had a dramatic fall from their championship era. Not only are they +550 to make the playoffs, but they have the joint longest NBA title odds at +100000. They have an outside chance to make the play-in tournament with +125 odds to do so. They have a talented roster and could certainly be playing meaningful basketball in the final weeks of the season. However, after years of mediocrity, general manager Masai Ujiri may be feeling the heat to tank for a high draft pick. 

The Raptors best chance to do anything meaningful this season is in the NBA Cup. They are still +4000 longshots to top a group featuring the Bucks, Pacers, Heat, and Pistons, but if they can pull off a single upset, they will suddenly have life. 

2024-25 Toronto Raptors Season Expectations and Best Bets

The expectations are understandably low for the Raptors. They will more than likely not even qualify for the play-in tournament, and their 30.5 win total implies they will be losing a lot of games along the way. While I would love to take the Raptors over with their talented lineup, I just don’t see them picking up enough wins to cash this total. They got only 25 wins last season and got arguably worse over the summer. They will more than likely have little to no incentive to win basketball games down the stretch which will be enough for the Under to cash. 

If you are desperate for a Raptors over, the +125 odds for a play-in tournament appearance could be worth a look. Scottie Barnes is capable of winning Toronto games, but it still implies they beat out two of the Hawks, Bulls, and Hornets. That will not be happening, but the bright spot for Raptor fans is they at least get to keep their draft pick this year. 

Top Pick: Toronto Raptors Under 30.5 Wins

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