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The NBA regular season is back in full swing and continues with games on Wednesday. The Indiana Pacers will hit the road and take on the Orlando Magic. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pacers-Magic prediction and pick.
These two teams have had somewhat similar seasons so far. The Indiana Pacers have struggled this season and have lost two of their last three matches. While the Orlando Magic have also had a tough year, but have managed to win their first two games after the break. This should be an interesting rematch between two teams that just faced off.
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Here are the Pacers-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Magic Odds
Indiana Pacers: -1 (-110)
Orlando Magic: +1 (-110)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
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Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
The Indiana Pacers have not had a lot of success this season. It’s fair to say that after their most recent trades they are fully committing to a rebuild. But that doesn’t mean they don’t want to win any games, especially against a beatable opponent like Orlando. Through their first 63 games, the Pacers have a record of 21-42. Indiana’s most recent defeat came against the Orlando Magic by 16. It’s always interesting when two teams play against each other in back-to-back games. History may repeat itself, but the Pacers could also change things. If Indiana can learn from their last match, they could end up on top on Wednesday.
The biggest problem with the Pacers that showed up in their last game was a lack of volume. Indiana scored an impressive victory against the Celtics, winning by 21. In that match, the Pacers shot the ball 90 times and made over 50% of their shots. In their loss to Orlando, the Pacers still made around 50% of their shot attempts, however, they only took 72 shots. The Magic, on the other hand, shot the ball 96 times. If Indiana wants to bounce back from this loss, they simply need to take more shots.
Injuries have certainly been one of the factors that have stood in the way of success for this team. The Pacers currently have six players listed on their injury report. Of those players only two, Lance Stephenson and Chris Duarte, are questionable for Wednesday’s game. If those two guys play it would certainly be a helpful addition to this Pacers squad. Regardless, this Pacers team has shown that they can be competitive, they just need to keep pace and take more shots.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The Orlando Magic have been one of the worst teams in the NBA. While they may not have much hope for the rest of this season, they are still trying to get wins while they can. Through their first 62 games, the Magic have a record of 15-47. Orlando is fresh off a victory over Indiana and will look to make it two straight wins on Wednesday. The Magic have already shown that they have what it takes to win this game, they just need to take the rematch as seriously as they took this first match. If Orlando can repeat what they did in their last game, they should have no problem scoring back-to-back wins.
The Magic’s victory over Indiana was the definition of a team win. In that win, eight players on the Magic contributed double-digit points, including Markelle Fultz who only played for 16 minutes. This is their second straight win, and it’s not surprising that in their win prior over the Rockets, seven players scored in the double digits. This Magic team may be lacking all-star talent, but when everyone steps up they can at least be a competitive team. The Pacers are vulnerable, and Orlando has shown that they already have what it takes to beat them.
One roadblock for this team is injuries. Currently, the Magic have four players listed on their injury report. Cole Anthony is the only player listed as probable, while Mo Wagner is officially out. Orlando will be missing some important players, but this team has been all about adapting to their circumstances. There are very few expectations put on this team now, and that could play to their favor. Expect the Magic to try and pull off another win, and improve to three straight victories.
Final Pacers-Magic Prediction & Pick
This is a tough decision. Whenever two teams face off in back-to-back games it’s tough to know whether the losing team will learn from their loss and bounce back, or if the winning team is truly better and will just score another win. In this case, it seems like the Pacers should be able to bounce back. Indiana’s loss came from their own shortcomings rather than being overpowered by the Magic. The Pacers should be able to learn and come back stronger on Wednesday. Pick Indiana to win and cover.
Final Pacers-Magic Prediction & Pick: Indiana Pacers -1 (-110)
Final Pacers-Magic Score Prediction: Pacers 120 – Magic 112