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The Orlando Magic will face the Toronto Raptors in an Eastern Conference battle on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Magic-Raptors prediction and pick.
There's always a couple of teams per year that are in a rebuilding phase, and the Magic have been one of them for a long time. This season is no different, as shown by Orlando's abysmal 15-48 record, a mark that is currently the worst in the NBA. There haven't been many bright spots for the Magic this season, but the same can't be said for the Raptors. After a tough start, Toronto regrouped and played their way to a 34-28 record. They're currently set to make the playoffs in the surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference. Another win here would help them gain ground on the coveted sixth seed.
Here are the Magic-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Magic-Raptors Odds
Orlando Magic: +7 (-108)
Toronto Raptors: -7 (-114)
Over: 218.5 (-110)
Under:218.5 (-110)
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Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
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Orlando's defense has the chance to lead them to a cover. While they haven't been great in terms of points per game allowed, the Magic only allow a 52% shooting percentage from inside the arc and a 46% shooting percentage overall. Those aren't great numbers, but they should be good enough to deal with a middling Raptors offense. Toronto ranks in the bottom ten in the league in nearly every single important offensive stat, including shooting percentage, and shooting efficiency. The Magic should hold their own on defense here.
Injuries will play a part in this contest. Raptors forward OG Anunoby is dealing with a long-term injury, and star shooting guard Fred VanVleet is out this game. VanVleet leads the team in points per game and assists per game, while Anunoby is a key role player who averages 36 minutes per game. It's clear that both of these guys are huge parts of Toronto's success, so their absences will be felt in a big way.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Toronto is clearly the superior team of these two. That doesn't mean much considering how poor the Magic are, but it's still true. They should be particularly dominant on the defensive end against Orlando. The Magic have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league by just about every single metric available. They only score 104 points per game, and they rank inside the bottom five in the NBA in shooting percentage and shooting efficiency. Any defense would likely hold up well against Orlando.
Orlando has also been one of the worst teams in the league against the spread. They've earned a 28-35 record in that category, including a 24-34 record ATS when they enter the game as an underdog. The Raptors, on the other hand, have been one of the better teams in the league against the spread. Toronto is 34-27-1 overall, but that record improves in games like this one. The Raptors are 19-14 in games they were the favorites in, another one of the best records in the league.
Final Magic-Raptors Prediction & Pick
This pick is a no-brainer. Lock in the Raptors as home favorites, even with all the injuries they're dealing with. The Magic just haven't played well enough to justify any sort of confidence.
Final Magic-Raptors Pick: Raptors -7 (-114)
