The NBA regular season continues with games on Friday. The Los Angeles Lakers will hit the road and take on the Orlando Magic. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Lakers-Magic prediction and pick.
These two teams have had very different starts to the season. The Los Angeles Lakers are 22-23 and have lost four of their last five games. While the Orlando Magic are only 8-38 and are coming off three straight losses. This should be an interesting match up between two struggling teams of different calibers.
Here are the Lakers-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Magic Odds
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Los Angeles Lakers: -5.5 (-106)
Orlando Magic: +5.5 (-114)
Over: 219 (-110)
Under: 219 (-110)
Why The Lakers Could Cover The Spread
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a very disappointing start to the year. For the amount of talent that this team has, to be struggling this much is unacceptable. Through the first half of the season the Lakers have a losing record with only 22 wins and 23 losses. While both injuries and COVID have contributed to their struggle, the Lakers have just not played up to their abilities. LA has lost four of their last five games. Their most recent defeat came against the Indiana Pacers by seven. The Lakers will look to turn things around on Friday as they face possibly the worst team in the NBA. The Lakers losing this game would accurately sum up how this season has gone for LA thus far.
There is no one clear metric that can be pointed to as the reason for the Lakers loss to the Pacers. Rather, as a whole, Indiana just played a better game. The Lakers shot the ball decently, making over 44% of their shots, but Indiana just did better. The Pacers had more assists and rebounds than the Lakers. Additionally, they made their shots at a higher efficiency across the board, from the field, beyond the arc, and from the free throw line. LA’s play has just been underwhelming lately and they have been losing games that they really shouldn’t. The Lakers will look to take a step in the right direction on Friday against their easiest opponent of the season.
One of the biggest reasons this team has struggled is because of COVID and injuries. The Lakers currently have four players listed on their injury report. The most recent addition is LeBron James, who was added to the list on Thursday. James is listed as day-to-day and his appearance on the list should not be concerning. Anthony Davis is set to be re-evaluated next week and will hopefully make a return to action soon. Needless to say, if LeBron doesn’t play then this will be a hugely different game. However, that seems unlikely, and the lakers for the most part are healthy.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The Orlando Magic have been the worst team in basketball this year. While many teams can lean on injuries or COVID as an excuse for their struggles, the Magic have just not played well. Through the first half of the season they have an abysmal record with only 8 wins and a staggering 38 losses. The Magic are coming off three straight losses, with their most recent one coming against the Philadelphia 76ers by 13. While the Magic may have little hope for this season, they have a shot of getting closer to double digit wins on Friday. Orlando faces a struggling Lakers team and has the opportunity to stick the dagger in further.
The Magic played really well against the Sixers. Orlando actually had a 10 point lead at halftime, however that all changed in the third quarter. Philadelphia outscored the Magic by 24 points in the third quarter and that all but sealed the game. The Magic struggled to regain their lead and were ultimately defeated. However, they still put up a more than respectable performance. Orlando made over 51% of their 35 three point attempts, and they made 40 of their 90 shots from the field. Their biggest struggle was fouls and letting the Sixers get to the line. Philly took 27 free throws in that match and made 23 of them. When your opponent gets that many opportunities for free points, it is extremely difficult to keep up.
On top of on court struggles, the Magic have been dealing with numerous unavailable players. Whether it is due to COVID or injuries, Orlando is not at full health. The Magic currently have six players listed on their injury report. Of those players only Wendell Carter Jr. is listed as probable for Friday’s game. All the other players are listed as out. Orlando has a lot to overcome to win this game, but with the way the Lakers have looked lately they might just pull this off. Get ready for the Magic to come into this match ready to pull off the upset.
Final Lakers-Magic Prediction & Pick
This is a tough pick. The Lakers have been so bad lately and just haven't been able to win games. However, regardless of how bad LA has played, the Magic have been worse. Orlando only has eight wins through 46 games. They have been atrocious and betting on them is just not a winning move. Even though the Magic could end up winning this game, they should not be your pick. Pick the Lakers to win and cover.
FINAL LAKERS-MAGIC PICK: Los Angeles Lakers -5.5 (-106)
FINAL LAKERS-MAGIC SCORE PREDICTION: Lakers 112 – Magic 104
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