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The Orlando Magic have a much better season than the Portland Trail Blazers. However, injuries to Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris have the Magic waiting for an update before they can examine their chances in this matchup. Orlando isn't the only team that is banged up, as Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle are also on the injury list before the game. Thybulle is the only player listed as out, meaning the injury concerns could be close to zero by game time. The Trail Blazers dominated the Magic in their first matchup last week, as they went into Orlando and held them to 79 points in a 22-point victory. It won't be easy to do that again, but Portland has all the momentum. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Magic-Trail Blazers prediction and pick.
Here are the Magic-Trail Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Magic-Trail Blazers Odds
Orlando Magic: -5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -205
Portland Trail Blazers: +5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +170
Over: 212.5 (-110)
Under: 212.5 (-110)
How To Watch Magic vs. Trail Blazers
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Magic Could Cover the Spread/Win
It has been an ugly couple of weeks for the Magic and a promising span for the Trail Blazers. That analysis seems like a strange reason to back the Magic, but the trajectories of both teams are worth noting. Orlando is a playoff team when they are playing at the best of their abilities, and Portland should be nowhere near beating some of the teams they have beaten over their past ten. The Magic will not forget the defeat by the Trail Blazers last week, and they'll be ready to enact some revenge.
Why the Trail Blazers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Trail Blazers have been playing well lately, and the return of Deandre Ayton paced them to a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game. Their blowout win over the Magic isn't their only impressive victory, as they've won five of their past six games. The wins came against the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and the Bucks, which makes it five straight outright victories where they are an underdog. It doesn't happen often that a team wins so many games as an underdog, and the Trail Blazers will have to do it again to emerge victorious here.
The Magic are going in the opposite direction of the Trail Blazers, which has sent them down to sixth in the Eastern Conference. Ironically, the Magic are currently on a streak of three straight losses where they were a favorite, with the only win over their last seven games coming against the Detroit Pistons. The Magic are fighting an inept offense, and the past ten games have seen their defense start to take on water. If Orlando doesn't improve their offense and figure out their defensive struggles, it could be a play-in tournament berth or, even worse, a missed postseason.
Final Magic-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick
The Magic are 23-24-1 against the spread this season, while the Trail Blazers are 26-20-1. Orlando should get back on track and secure a win in this game, but the spread is high enough to lean toward Portland. Taking Portland on the spread will also cover us if the bad version of Orlando does show up tonight. Even if they don't, their offense isn't good enough to blow teams away, and their defense lends itself to low-scoring games, which is always good for the underdog.
Final Magic-Trail Blazers Prediction & Pick: Trail Blazers +5.5 (-115)
