Setting The Pick: Raptors hit a rough patch

The Toronto Raptors futures prices have been in free fall since the NBA All-Star Break.

Unexpected losses to Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando have essentially derailed their hopes of sliding into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here is a look at how Toronto’s odds to make the playoffs have changed:

Odds to make the playoffs

At the All-Star Break: -290

Current: -170

Atlantic Division winner odds

At the All-Star Break: +700

Current: +8000

NBA championship winner odds:

At the All-Star Break: +8000

Current: +10000

With the second game of a six-game road trip on the slate tonight, let’s examine where they’re at.

What’s gone wrong

Coming out of the break, I had a script ready to go for TSN previewing the Raptors’ bad luck with injuries all season. We were about to spotlight Toronto’s 12-6 record with a healthy starting five and how they were destined to eclipse their ROS .500-win projection.

Feels like a jinx now.

OG Anunoby surprisingly popped up on the injury report with a finger fracture that afternoon.

Two games later, the team decided to rest Fred VanVleet after it was evident his nagging knee injury was limiting him.

With two or more starters absent, the Raps have gone 4-7.

They’re 5-7 in the 12 games VanVleet has missed this season, 8-14 in the 22 games Anunoby has missed.

No NBA team is immune to injuries, but the Raptors simply don’t have the depth to support multiple absences. Coach Nick Nurse clearly doesn’t trust his bench. Pascal Siakam and VanVleet lead the entire NBA at 38.2 and 37.6 minutes per game. Anunoby is fifth, and rookie Scottie Barnes is 18th and first amongst rookies.

Those heavy minutes are catching up and the bench unit is not properly constructed to endure.

The 6-foot-9, all-switch unit is