Raptors Uprising GC have gotten off to a flying start in this season of the NBA 2K League, dominating just about every team they’ve played so far to secure an incredible 12-0 start.
The once underdogs have become heavy favorites for the championship, flying from initial odds of +2500 to win it at the start of the season all the way to -110 at [Sportsbook not available for your region] as of July 2. Naturally, their great form has affected their individual matches too, skewing odds heavily in their favor. But does the team have what it takes to keep beating the odds?
How Raptors Uprising Have Dominated
The Raptors are a team focused around teamwork rather than individual skill. They don’t have that one superstar player who’s managed to miraculously carry them this far but instead work together flawlessly to raise each other to new heights.
They also work incredibly hard to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes, currently occupying two of the top three spots for steals per game, and if you’ve been watching their games, you can tell just how much they punish their opponents.
As of July 4, the Uprising had only lost four of the 28 games they have played this season. The team seems to be only getting better, as the Raptors did not drop a single game in the month of June.
How have the Raptors’ Odds Changed in the NBA 2K League?
As you can imagine, the Toronto representatives quickly became favorites for their matches. In their first match of the season, the Raptors closed at +6.5 against the 76ers and went on to post a clean 2-0 series win. Since that game, the Raptors have been the favorites in every game this season, as of July 4.
The most notable closing line of -11.5 was in game 1 against the preseason favorites Blazer5 Gaming on June 17. The representatives of the Great White North swept the series 2-0 with scores of 73-58 and 93-65, showing their dominance in their league.
The odds continue to shift dramatically in the Raptors’ favor and even reached all-time highs in terms of point spreads at the end of June. In their matches against Magic Gaming and Heat Check Gaming, the closing lines for game 1 came in at -24.5 and -21.5 respectively.
These are huge handicaps, but they seemed to be no problem for the Raptors as they managed to obliterate both teams, winning 101-61 against Magic in game 1 and 92-54 against Heat.
In fact, the Raptors are 8-1 ATS when closing as double-digit favorites, as of this writing. That includes a perfect 3-0 ATS when being listed as favorites of 20 points or more.
Should you Bet on the Raptors to Keep Dominating?
Judging by their form, the Raptors aren’t likely to lose a match any time soon and looking at their upcoming games, it’s likely they’ll be a slaughter.
The undefeated team is set to face the Pacers, Lakers and Cavs – three teams that find themselves in the bottom half of the standings and have been struggling to perform all season.
It wouldn’t be surprising if we see some of the most dominant matches yet from Raptors, who will not only want to continue their strong form but will also be lifted knowing they’ve set the record for the best start in the 2K League and can continue to build on it.
Make sure to check out our NBA 2K League guide if you want to learn more or bet on the league.
