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The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic meet for Game 1 of the Vegas Summer League! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Magic prediction and pick.
The Pistons finished the 2022 season with the worst record in the NBA. Somehow, the basketball gods punished them by drawing them the fifth pick in the NBA Draft in the Draft Lottery weeks prior. With that pick, they drafted Ausar Thompson, twin brother of Amen Thompson, who debuted for the Houston Rockets Friday night. Ausar Thompson is not only an elite basketball player, but he is also a dynamic athlete who can contribute in many ways. He may not be the scoring threat Amen is, but that doesn't stop him from making winning plays. The organization is looking forward to Ausar's debut later today.
The Magic had the 6th pick in the draft and took the 6-foot-7 point guard from Arkansas, Anthony Black. Black was one of the top players in the country last season. It's going to be interesting to see what the Magic do with a crowded backcourt. The Magic also had the 11th pick and selected Jett Howard, son of Jawan Howard.
Here are the Vegas Summer League NBA Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Summer League Odds: Pistons-Magic Odds:
Detroit Pistons: -5.5 (-106)
Orlando Magic: +5.5 (-114)
Over: 185.5 (-110)
Under: 185.5 (-110)
How to Watch Pistons vs. Magic
TV: ESPN
Stream: Watch ESPN
Time: 5:30 ET/ 2:30 PT
Article Continues Below
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Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Detroit will have arguably the top team in this entire tournament. Playing alongside Thompson, Jaden Ivey and James Wiesman will put in the work to create chemistry this summer. Rookie Marcus Sasser adds another elite name and other players returning to the team are Isaiah Livers and Jalen Duran. That is a good core of players, and if they play well this summer then that should give them confidence heading into the regular season. When Cade Cunningham comes back to form, this could be a sneaky team.
Thompson averaged 16.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists last season for Overtime Elite.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
Are they the Orlando Magic or Michigan Wolverines? This squad contains three former Wolverines … Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, and DJ Wilson. It's expected that the Magic will play all three of them together for the majority of this tournament. Another guard that stands out is former UCLA Bruin Tyger Campbell. Tyger led the Bruins to a Final Four appearance and many March Madness appearances.
Anthony Black averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Razorbacks last season.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick
This is going to be a tough game to predict as both teams have great rosters. I expect the Pistons to show that they are made of right away. Some of these guys will be on the active roster come Fall, so take the Pistons to cover this spread for Game 1. I also like the over in this game as well.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick: Pistons -5.5 (-106); Over 185.5 (-110)
