Fred VanVleet said that the Toronto Raptors are back to where they were pre-Kawhi Leonard — being overlooked again.
And it may seem that way when you look at the latest Vegas odds for the Atlantic Division title.
The Raptors have dominated the Atlantic Division, winning six of the last seven division championships, but according to BetOnline, Toronto has the fourth-best odds to win the division this season at 18/5.
The Brooklyn Nets, who are set to see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the floor together for the first time, have the best odds at 2/1, followed by the Boston Celtics (11/5) and Philadelphia 76ers (7/2). The New York Knicks, who haven't made the playoffs since 2012-13, are a long shot at 150/1 to win the Atlantic.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | 2/1 |
| Boston Celtics | 11/5 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 7/2 |
| Toronto Raptors | 18/5 |
| New York Knicks | 150/1 |
* Odds courtesy BetOnline
The Raptors did have a tough offseason in some regards, losing both Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka to free agency, but they were able to keep VanVleet long term and also keep flexibility for the 2021 offseason.
The team will be playing in Tampa, Florida to start the 2020-21 season and rumour has it the league was considering moving the Raptors to the Southeast Division to ease travel as they work through the COVID-19 pandemic. No official word has been made on that front and with training camp opening on Dec. 1 and the first half of the schedule likely set to release shortly thereafter, there would have to be a decision made sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, Toronto will look to prove Vegas and the doubters wrong when the 2020-21 season tips off on Dec. 22.
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