Basketball / Nick Shiambouros / 10 March 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

The Raptors boast a top quality performer in Chris Bosh but there's more than just him to this under-rated outfit, argues Nick Shiambouros

Many people think the NBA finals will be contested by Los Angeles and Cleveland. According to the current prices on offer most punters agree with that assessment but I think this year has been one of the most competitive seasons in a long time and no single team has managed to truly dominate in either Conference.

The Toronto Raptors are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference and have a great chance of making the playoffs. Team leader Chris Bosh has just returned to the team after missing seven games through injury. Bosh remains one of the elite players in basketball averaging over 24 points per game and 11 rebounds. He is a free agent at the end of the year and a good playoff run will increase his bargaining power enormously .

Yet, the Toronto rotation did an outstanding job without him, winning three vital games to maintain their playoff hopes and giving hope to supporters that the Raptors can have an impact this year. During that great run, they really should have beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers last month when leading in the fourth quarter. They made a couple of crucial errors late in the game which cost them dearly.

This may not be the most fashionable NBA franchise but they do have some very talented players in the rotation. Toronto picked up Hedu Turkoglu from Orlando last summer which has added another dimension to this team. I was surprised Orlando released the gifted Turkoglu as he is very effective inside the paint and shoots the ball well. He averages over 12 points per game and his playoff experience will be huge asset if Toronto makes the post-season.

Centre Andrea Bargnani is having an excellent year for Toronto and his average has climbed to just over 17 points per game. Bargnani has a solid mid-range jump shot and is a powerhouse underneath the basket. The Italian is one of the most improved players in basketball and this has been a contributing factor to the success of this team.

And now that the great Bosh is back I believe the Raptors could put together a good run to propel them in to the post-season.

The Raptors start a four game road trip this week against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento, Golden State and Portland.

At the very least I think they will beat Sacramento and Golden State. Both these teams have had shocking seasons and neither team has a winning record on their home floor.

The Kings do have rookie sensation Tyreke Evans who is averaging an incredible 20 points per game. Evans is currently [1.33] to win the Rookie of the year award and that price is completely justified. This young man is the future of this team but Toronto will have too many weapons for the Kings.

The Golden Sate Warriors also have a rookie with a bright future in Stephen Curry who is averaging 16 points per game. The Warriors have only managed to win 17 games this year and have the second worst record in the Western Conference. It is hard to imagine Toronto losing this game and they should easily dispose of this poor Golden State team.
　
Many people think the NBA finals will be contested by Los Angeles and Cleveland. According to the current prices on offer most punters agree with that assessment but I think this year has been one of the most competitive seasons in a long time and no single team has managed to truly dominate in either Conference. The Toronto Raptors are one of many teams who have a chance of winning the East. I await the playoffs with interest.

Recommended wagers
Back Toronto with advertised handicap against Sacramento March 10th
Back Toronto with advertised handicap against Golden State March 13th