After losing Kawhi Leonard to the LA Clippers in free agency, the reigning champion Toronto Raptors weren’t the favorites to win the NBA championship going into the season — they weren’t even in the top five. Their odds have steadily improved from +2000 to +1600 since then, but they still trail the Los Angeles Lakers (+200), Milwaukee Bucks (+280), Clippers (+300), Boston Celtics (+1200) and Houston Rockets (+1400), according to Bovada.
However, while oddsmakers might not consider the Raptors a legitimate title contender, their peers do.