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The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic will battle in an Eastern Conference matchup on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Magic prediction and pick.
The Knicks and Magic are seemingly heading in opposite directions as franchises. The Knicks looked good vs. the Boston Celtics in a double-overtime win on Wednesday in their season opener. New additions Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker seem like solid pieces to put with a group that earned the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference last season before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Atlanta Hawks. The Magic on the flip side are in purgatory in the cellar of the NBA, with a slew of young players they are hoping can deliver some optimism for the future.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the Knicks-Magic odds for this Friday matchup.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Magic Odds
New York Knicks -8 (-114), -335 ML
Orlando Magic +8 (-106), +270 ML
Over 213 points (-110)
Under 213 points (-110)
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Why The Knicks Can Cover The Spread
The Knicks are the much better team heading into this one, but eight points is still quite a bit in an NBA game. They likely have an edge in every position group, however, and should have some momentum coming off of the big win on Wednesday. Julius Randle looked like the same guy from last regular season, posting 35 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. The Knicks have put a very solid cast of shooters and ball handlers around him, and looked poised to be a legitimate playoff team in the Eastern Conference again this season.
Why The Magic Can Cover The Spread
The Magic got blown out by 26 by the Spurs in San Antonio to start their season. To be quite honest, betting on them right now doesn't seem like a great idea. There is a real chance they are just awful and the spreads just keep getting bigger and bigger for their games. The Magic have some okay young pieces like Mo Bamba, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, but they don't have a good NBA initiator. Offense will be hard to come by for the Magic this season, and the defense won't be much better.
Final Knicks-Magic Prediction & Pick
The Knicks are the pick here. Eight points is a lot in an NBA game, but the Magic are almost closer a G League team with all their youth. They have probably the youngest starting lineup in the NBA, and none of those guys are even proven as legitimate NBA contributors. Ride the Knicks to take this, even if you get the spread -9, -10, -11 later in the day, New York should win easily.
FINAL KNICKS-MAGIC PREDICTION & PICK: Knicks -8 (-114)
