The Los Angeles Clippers will travel to Central Florida to face the Orlando Magic on Thursday at Amway Arena. We're here to share our NBA odds series, make a Clippers-Magic prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Clippers edged the Philadelphia 76ers 108-107 on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center. They trailed by four points as they headed into the fourth quarter. Then, they trailed 107-105 with 16 seconds left when Kawhi Leonard hit a layup while drawing the foul from Kelly Oubre Jr. Leonard then blocked the game-winning shot by Oubre to preserve the win.
Paul George led the Clippers with 22 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7 for 18. Likewise, Leonard finished with 17 points while shooting 7 for 19. James Harden added 16 points, while Terrance Mann had 14. Also, Ivica Zubac had 11 points. The Clippers shot just 44 percent from the floor, including 38.9 percent from the triples. Somehow, they defeated the Sixers despite allowing them to shoot 47.6 percent and losing the board battle 51-43. It helped that they forced 12 turnovers.
The Magic lost 101-93 to the Golden State Warriors at the Amway Center. Unfortunately, they stumbled out of the gate, scoring just 11 points in the first quarter. Paolo Banchero led the way with 15 points but struggled to shoot, going 5 for 17 from the floor. Likewise, Franz Wagner had 14 points while shooting 6 for 14 from the field. Cole Anthony had 26 points off the bench while shooting 10 for 17.
The Magic shot just 42.3 percent from the field, including 31.3 percent from beyond the arc. They also allowed the Warriors to shoot 44.4 percent from the field, including 29.4 percent from the triples. The Magic also lost the board battle 52-39 and had 10 turnovers.
The Clippers lead the head-to-head series 36-32. Also, they are 7-3 over the past 10 games against the Magic. The Clippers defeated the Magic 118-102 on Halloween last year at Crypto.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Clippers-Magic Odds
Los Angeles Clippers: -1.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -118
Orlando Magic: +1.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +100
Over: 210.5 (-110)
Under: 210.5 (-110)
How to Watch Clippers vs. Magic
Time: 7:05 PM ET/4:05 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Florida and Bally Sports Southern California
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Clippers dominated the Magic in their last matchup because they shot well from the field, forced turnovers, and won the board battle. Likewise, they got great production from George and Zubac. They also got great production from Russell Westbrook, Bones Hyland, and Normal Powell. Ironically, they won despite some struggles from Kawhi Leonard, who went 3 for 11 against the Magic.
The shooting has not been good lately from the Clippers. Therefore, they will look to improve in that aspect. For the Clippers to do well against the Magic on the road, they need to shoot well. But they also need Zubac to be a force on the boards. Ultimately, he did not get enough rebounds in the last game, and that is something he will look to rectify. Westbrook is very inconsistent. Thus, he will look to try and improve after shooting 2 for 8 in the last game.
The Clippers will cover the spread if they cast a wide net of distribution from their starters, along with their bench.; Then, they need to force the Magic into bad shots.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Magic's biggest issue was turnovers. When they last played the Clippers, they somehow managed to turn the ball over 24 times. Their sloppy play has continued, and they need to fix it. You cannot win basketball games when you shoot poorly and turn the ball over, and it also does not help when you lose the board battle.
Banchero is the Magic's best player on the court. However, he can have some stretches where he struggles to shoot, and this has happened a lot lately. There are 10 games left in the season, and the Magic have a three-game lead over the seventh seed. If Orlando wants to avoid the play-in, they need Banchero to play well down the stretch. Wagner is one of the few who remains stout. Ultimately, he continues to play well.
Jalen Suggs has struggled. Sadly, he is shooting just 23.5 percent over the past two games. Anthony had a great game. However, he is also consistent. The Magic would like to see more out of Fultz, who had just four points in his last game while shooting 2 for 5.
The Magic will cover the spread if they can shoot the ball well. Then, they need to play tight defense against the Clippers.
Final Clippers-Magic Prediction & Pick
The Magic remain the best team in the NBA at covering the spread. Yes, they are 47-25 against the spread. The Clippers are 34-38 against the spread. While the Magic are struggling right now, they still do well against the spread against the Western Conference. Also, they have lost two games in a row. They are bound to get things right eventually. Keep in mind that the Magic are too good of a team to keep struggling. Look for them to shock everyone and play incredibly well here, covering the spread and beating the Clippers.
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Final Clippers-Magic Prediction & Pick: Orlando Magic: +1.5 (-112)
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