Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Knicks will battle the Orlando Magic on Sunday at Amway Arena. It's a possible playoff preview as we continue our NBA odds series and make a Knicks-Magic prediction and pick.
The Magic lead the head-to-head series 67-64. Recently, the Magic defeated the Knicks 121-106 on December 3, 2024. The Knicks and Magic have split the last 10 games. Additionally, the Magic are 3-2 over the past five games against the Knicks at Amway.
Here are the Knicks-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Knicks-Magic Odds
New York Knicks: -5 (-110)
Moneyline: -205
Orlando Magic: +5 (-110)
Moneyline: +172
Over: 217 (-110)
Under: 217 (-110)
How To Watch Knicks vs. Magic
Time: 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
TV: MSG and FanDuel Sports South Florida
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Knicks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Knicks are 15-10 coming into this game and have rebounded from a bad start. Yet, there are still signs of trouble. All is not well yet, and the Knicks must rebound better to give themselves a better chance of winning games. Ultimately, winning the board battle all but guarantees the Knicks a greater chance of being good and beating tougher teams like the Boston Celtics.
Karl-Anthony Towns can give the Knicks the best chance for them to solve this issue. Amazingly, he comes in with 24.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game. Towns also pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks earlier this week. But someone else must help him. The Knicks are a team that is littered with numerous guards and smaller forwards with one big man who can do work.
Jalen Brunson leads those guards with 24.7 points per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, OG Anunoby averages 17.4 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the floor. Mikal Bridges averages 17 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the hardwood. Josh Hart is averaging 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
The common ground among all these players is that none of them, sans Hart, are doing much on the boards. Whenever Towns is out of the game, it becomes apparent that no one is winning the board battle. Precious Achiuwa is a power forward and occasionally grabs some boards. Yet, even he is not enough to win these little battles inside.
The Knicks will cover the spread if Brunson, Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart can sink their shots and give the Knicks an early lead. Then, they must win the board battle and not let the Magic dictate the action.
Why the Magic Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Magic have dealt with injuries all season, being without Paolo Banchero. Now, it has gotten worse as Franz Wagner is out for a few weeks with an oblique injury. The Magic are 17-10 and riding high, leading the Southeast Division by a few games. However, not having Banchero and Wagner will make it tough for the Magic to win games, with both their star players being out.
While Banchero has been working out, he is still not ready. Thus, that means that someone else must step up. Jalen Suggs is the defacto star left on the roster. Because of that, he has to take charge and lead the team. Suggs got off to a great start in doing that a few nights ago against the Milwaukee Bucks when he led the Magic with 32 points while shooting 12 for 26. If there is one criticism, it's his shooting from the triples. Suggs went just 3 for 11 from beyond the arc.
Moritz Wagner, Franz's brother, must also do more. So far, he has produced mixed results. Wagner averages 12.7 points per game while shooting 55.5. percent from the floor. He also had 13 points while making all six of his shots against the Bucks. We might see more of Goga Bitadze, who had 38 minutes against the Bucks. Bitadze had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Therefore, expect to see more of him. Likewise, Anthony Black will step up, as he did against the Bucks when he scored 17 points.
The Magic will cover the spread if Suggs can lead the charge and hit his shots from the three-point line. Then, the rest of the team must step up and prevent the Knicks from taking over the game.
Final Knicks-Magic Prediction & Pick
The Knicks are 11-13-1 against the spread, while the Magic are 16-11 against the odds. Moreover, the Knicks are 5-8 against the spread on the road, while the Magic are 9-1 against the odds at home. The Knicks are 8-10-1 against the spread when facing the Eastern Conference, while the Magic are 12-7 against the odds when facing the East.
The Knicks are healthier in this game, while the Magic are battered. However, the Knicks are also underperforming. I expect the Magic to continue to play hard and find a way to cover the spread at home.
Final Knicks-Magic Prediction & Pick: Orlando Magic +5 (-110)
