The Brooklyn Nets will face the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Nets-Magic prediction and pick.
When talking about these two teams, the phrase “polar opposites” comes to mind. The Nets, despite only having a 35-33 record, are hopeful that they will be a contender in the Eastern Conference once the postseason rolls around. Star players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving always give Brooklyn a chance to win, no matter what their record says.
Meanwhile, the Magic have a chance to win very infrequently. Orlando is currently the worst team in the entire NBA with a 18-51 record. This was the definition of a rebuilding year for the Magic, but the results are still disappointing. They'll look to turn things around here in a matchup with one of the more star-studded teams in the NBA.
Here are the Nets-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Nets-Magic Odds
Brooklyn Nets: -10.5 (-110)
Orlando Magic: +10.5 (-110)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
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Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
Brooklyn's defense should put together a nice performance in this game. The Nets allow plenty of points per game, but they hold their opponents to a 34% shooting percentage from 3-point range and a 45% shooting percentage overall. Those numbers match up well with the Magic, one of the worst offenses in the NBA. Orlando ranks inside the bottom five in the league in nearly every single offensive statistic, including points per game, shooting percentage, and shooting efficiency. Putting a stop to the Magic isn't particularly difficult, and the Nets should show that in this game.
The talent discrepancy between these two teams is quite large, especially with Kyrie Irving available on the road. It doesn't help that starting shooting guard Jalen Suggs has been ruled out of this contest with an ankle injury. The Nets are playing against a shorthanded, less talented team. They should be able to capitalize on that.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
While the Magic's record is completely terrible, their defense hasn't been all that bad this season. They allow 111 points per game and rank right in the middle of the pack in most defensive stats. Brooklyn is one of the streakier offenses in the league, so it's possible that Orlando's defense could hold up here. It helps that the Nets will be missing some key players in this matchup. Starting shooting guard Seth Curry is questionable, along with backup forward Cam Thomas. If both players are ruled out, the Nets will be forced to reach deep into their bench or force their starters to deal with a huge workload. Neither is ideal.
The Nets have been the worst team in the NBA at covering the spread. Brooklyn owns a 26-40-2 record against the spread, while the Magic are 33-36 in that category. It helps that this spread is massive. The last five times the Nets faced a spread similar to this one, they failed to cover. This spot doesn't look terrible for the Magic.
Final Nets-Magic Prediction & Pick
Neither side of the spread looks particularly appealing here. Instead, the under is the best pick on the board. Both teams are decent defensively, and if the Nets play well this game could be over by the third quarter.
Final Nets-Magic Pick: Under: 232 (-110)
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