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The Orlando Magic will be facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Magic-76ers prediction and pick.
This game features a tale of two stories as the Magic are looking forward to the end of the season and the 76ers are just getting started as the best team in the Eastern Conference. Orlando finishes their season with back-to-back games on the road against one the best clubs in basketball. The question is, will Philadelphia take care of their business and solidify the top seed in the east come the postseason?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Magic-76ers odds.
NBA Odds: Magic-76ers Odds
Orlando Magic +13.5 (-108)
Philadelphia 76ers -13.5 (-112)
Over 216.5 Points (-105)
Under 216.5 Points (-115)
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The Orlando Magic have certainly had a season to forget as they've traded away their centerpiece and lost 49 games to date. They will have a great lottery pick in the NBA draft and still have a long way to go in their rebuild. The Magic will finish with two games in Philadelphia, which leads me to believe that this team will lose 51 games this season.
Orlando has lost five straight games coming in and now sit in second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings. They've lost by an average of 22.6 points while giving up 122.4 points per game during the current losing streak. The good thing for the Magic is that the 76ers have lost a pair of consecutive games themselves.
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The Magic aren't one of the healthier clubs in the league at this point as well. With three guys out for the year and five others likely out for this game, it will be up to guys like Dwayne Bacon to lead the way for Orlando. The Magic are 17-17 ATS on the road this season, which is promising for a club that is getting two touchdowns in Philadelphia.
Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread
The Philadelphia 76ers will clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference with a win against Orlando in one of the next two games. It is likely that they will wrap it up in this game, but Philly has lost two straight games and seems to have a few minor kinks to work out.
Philadelphia has a huge advantage over most of the field heading into the postseason. They are a fully-healthy club that has had a lot of time on the court together. This 76ers team has been very injury prone in years past, but now gets a true chance to see what they can do in the playoffs when they're clicking together. Joel Embiid is dealing with a non-COVID related illness, which doesn't seem to be that concerning.
The 76ers have been one of the best teams on their home court this season. They are 27-7 and outscore their opponents by an average of nine points at the Wells Fargo Center in 2021. Philadelphia is 5-0 in their last five home games to date.
Final Magic-76ers Prediction & Pick
Larger spreads are always concerning on the surface. As we take a deeper dive into this matchup, the 13.5 points make sense. The average margin of defeat in Orlando's last five games against lesser opponents leads me to believe that Philly should have no problem covering this spread at the Wells Fargo Center. Doc and the 76ers won't play around with a chance to clinch home court and take it easy in the final game of the season.
FINAL PICK: Philadelphia 76ers -13.5 (-112)
