Gambling with Gourmet Spud: Can the Raptors bet on themselves?

Every ten games or so, we’ll be checking in with Raptors fan, and noted Twitter celebrity, Gourmet Spud to gauge how he’s feeling about his Toronto bet. The line: Spud took the over on the Raptors at 62 wins. As of this writing, the Raptors are 34-13.

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Despite a 7-2 run in the new year, not all has been great for the Raptors in 2019. Yes, they are indeed 34-13, good for the most amount of wins in the NBA. But if you’ll recall: our purpose here is to track how noted internet user Gourmet Spud is doing on his 62-win bet. Will the Raptors crack that plateau and hit a new franchise best? Let’s investigate Spud’s mood over the past few weeks.

After a win against Utah, Spud’s mood around the Raptors was high. So high in fact it was verging on un-reality:

Then of course, things went south. The Raptors were crushed in San Antonio, just a few hours after that beautiful sentiment was sent into the internet universe. It was a humbling experience, reminding us all that there were still many kilometres for us to climb in our collective journey for the NBA title.

Armed with this knowledge, we recalled what being a Raptors fan were often really about — even in their wins (such as a double OT fiasco against Washington):

And if that wasn’t enough, once again on the road in Boston, the Raptors hit another snag, dropping only their second game of the month. Unfortunately for us, and for Spud, we had arrived at quite a serious nadir:

So now it’s ten games after our last check in, and it’s time to get the scoop on Spud’s highlights and lowlights for the past month or so. Let’s see.

Spud’s Highlight from the Past 10 Games:

Highlight was definitely the Bucks win. That felt necessary. I don’t who I am more scared of, them or Boston. But to see them lock down defensively and squeeze the life out of Milwaukee in the 4th was one of those rare glimpses of how scary this team could be if it all really started to click, which it really hasn’t yet?

Spud’s Lowlight from the Past 10 Games:

Lowlight was the double OT game against Washington. I don’t care that they won. I was taking my kids skating, had them all in the living room bundled up in full winter gear, sitting and sweating while we waited an extra 30 minutes for those horrible overtimes to end. That game made me a bad father. We’d all be better off if the Wizards had simply won it by 20.

Spud, How’s Your Mood?

28-7. That’s what it’s going to take to get to 62. They’ve got OKC and Houston twice. Celtics, Pacers, Sixers, Spurs, Lakers, Clippers. Then mainly a lot of the dogshit East with a dash of Pelicans and Minnesota.

I don’t know what odds Vegas would give. It doesn’t look great. Lowry looks wrong. JV is still wearing those gigantic Tom’s Place suits every game. OG looks as lost as Norm did last year. Greg Monroe and C.J. Miles are still playing meaningful minutes.

But then there’s Kawhi. Sweet Saint Kawhi. I am surrendering my faith unto him. And I know he will deliver.

Of course, 100% they are going to play Washington in the first round and it will go 6 games.

There you have it. The Raptors continue to win, and while their losses have been of a somewhat embarrassing variety, it may be enough to get them over the hump. Will Spud find the ecstasy of victory at the end of this journey? We remain ever vigilant.