Article content
The Toronto Raptors can’t win on the court these days — and are earning L’s off it, too.
Article content
Even though there have been worse versions of the team over the years, Vegas seems to respect this group less than those.
Article content
Missing all of its regular starters due to injuries or personal matters, Toronto was a 15.5-point underdog hosting Western Conference leading Oklahoma City on Friday, the biggest underdog the Raptors have been at home in the 29-season history of the club, per Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy.
Early on, it appeared the oddsmakers had made a huge mistake — Toronto got off to a 35-28 lead and trailed by only seven at halftime — but eventually things turned around as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his far more talented and deep team took control. The Thunder led by 11 after three quarters and ultimately won by 20 points.
Article content
Toronto had 27 turnovers in the game, the most by a Raptors team since 1997.
A game earlier marked the first time since 1998 that Toronto had been an 11-point underdog at home. It had happened nine times previously, all in the rough early days of the Damon Stoudamire and post-Stoudamire/pre-Vince Carter Raptors.
It’s gotten to the point that a Washington Wizards team that came into Saturday’s game with the NBA’s worst record was actually favoured against the Raptors. Washington was a six-point favourite, the most that dreadful team has been favoured all season and only he seventh time all year they were favoured at all.
Toronto nearly pulled the game out, but lost by three. There were a whopping 26 lead changes.
Brooklyn is a 5.5-point favourite at Toronto on Monday even though the Nets come in barely ahead of the Raptors in the standings.
Share this article in your social network
