The Orlando Magic will travel to Motown to take on the Detroit Pistons in the NBA season opener for both teams on Wednesday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Magic-Pistons prediction and pick, laid out below.

The Orlando Magic endured an awful season last year, finishing 22-60 and dead last in the Eastern Conference. Jamahl Mosley returns for his second season as the head coach of this group, where optimism is budding after a strong draft. This roster is more talented than last season, but probably still a year or two away from contention.

Detroit did not fare much better, finishing with a 23-69 record, good for fourteenth in the Eastern Conference. Dwane Casey is back at the helm in Detroit, entering his fifth season with the team. After a 41-41 record in his intial season, the Pistons have finished a combined 94 games under .500.

Here are the Magic-Pistons NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Magic-Pistons Odds

Orlando Magic: +2.5 (-110)

Detroit Pistons: -2.5 (-110)

Over: 217 (-110)

Under: 217 (-110)

Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread

Orlando “earned” the top draft pick in the lottery for the 2022 draft, selecting Paolo Banchero with that pick. Banchero was a bit of a surprise with Chet Holmgren “falling” to the second spot. Banchero is thought of as a do-it-all type, being able to score and facilitate with the best in the league. Cole Anthony will run the point again for the Magic offense, after leading the team with 16.3 points per game 5.7 assists per game.

Wendell Carter is in his fifth season in the league, coming off a season in which he averaged a double-double. Jalen Suggs only played in 48 games, but averaged 11.8 points per game and 4.4 assists per game. Mo Bamba also averaged 8.1 rebounds per game, combining with Carter to form a lethal duo down low. Franz Wagner impressed in his rookie season, ranking second on the team with 15.2 points per game, shooting 47 percent from the field. Orlando averaged 104.2 per game, the second-lowest total in the league while surrendering 112.2 points per game, which ranked twentieth in the league.

Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread

Detroit ended up with the fifth pick in the draft, selecting former Purdue star Jaden Ivey, who should combine with Cade Cunningham to form a solid backcourt combo. Cunningham, who was the top pick in the 2021 draft, averaged 17.4 points per game and over five assists and rebounds. Jerami Grant led the team with 19.2 points per game last season, shooting at a 43 percent clip from the field. Saddiq Bey started and played in every game in 2021-22, averaging 16.1 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Isaiah Stewart led the team with 8.7 rebounds per game and shot 51 percent from the field. Stewart's shooting percentage led the team amongst qualified players. Bojan Bogdanovic was acquired in a trade last month, after averaging 18.1 points per game for Utah last season. Jalen Duran was acquired in a trade shortly after the draft, and the athletic center should be able to carve out a sizeable role quickly in this offense. Detroit averaged 104.8 points per game while allowing 112.5 points per game to their opponents.

Final Magic-Pistons Prediction & Pick

Detroit seems to have added more talent in the offseason, although neither team seems ready to take the next step.

Final Magic-Pistons Prediction & Pick: Detroit -2.5 (-110), over 217 (-110)