The Indiana Pacers travel to the southeast to take on the Orlando Magic. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pacers-Magic prediction and pick.
The Indiana Pacers battled with the Boston Celtics in their last game. They took the top team in the NBA to overtime and almost stole a win late in the game. However, Jayston Tatum played a great second half to help keep the Celtics in first place. Indiana fell to (26-35) on the season which places them 12th in the East. It will take a massive run to get back into the playoff picture as the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards are just ahead of them.
Nobody predicted the Magic would have any success this year and while that may be the case, they have exceeded expectations. Paolo Banchero will win Rookie of the Year and they have a lot to look forward to in the future. On Thursday night, they took down the Detroit Pistons 108-106 in a game that was close the entire way. Banchero had an off night going 4-13 but the team played great as a unit as seven players scored in double figures. Orlando is (25-35) on the season and with a win tonight, they would jump the Pacers in the standings for 12th place.
Here are the Pacers-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pacers-Magic Odds
Indiana Pacers: +2.5 (-108)
Orlando Magic: -2.5 (-112)
Over: 230 (-110)
Under: 230 (-110)
How To Watch Pacers vs. Magic
TV: Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Indiana
Stream: NBA League Pass, YouTube TV, fuboTV
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
The Pacers are far better than their record shows. They have a ton of talent they just haven't been able to close off teams. They started the season playing very well but are (2-8) in their last 10 games. Myles Turner is coming off one of the best games of his young career as he scored 40 points going 8-10 from deep. He could not miss and he helped the Pacers storm back from down 10 multiple times against Boston. Haliburton ended with 22 points and had 14 assists. once this team figures out how to close games then they will be a threat to anyone.
The Pacers are one of the better teams against the spread this season at (32-29). They are 12th In the NBA in scoring at 114.9 points per game which is tied with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The Magic are favored at home which seems to be the right call. They are (6-4) in their last 10 games. Fun note: the Magic are the only team in the NBA to have three wins against the Celtics this season as they have yet to lose to the reigning Eastern Conference Champions. They have proven to beat good teams but their consistency and lack of effort on the defensive end of the floor is why they haven't been able to win … much like the Pacers. These two teams are very similar and this game will determine who keeps the higher seed.
The Magic are 28th in the NBA in scoring at 110.9 per game and 17th in points allowed at 113.5 per game. They are also one of the better teams ATS this year at (33-26-1).
Final Pacers-Magic Prediction & Pick
This is a tough call to make. The Magic are at home where they are much better and the Pacers are (8-20) on the road. Anything can happen in this game but I expect the Magic to win by at least three. I also like the over at 230.
Final Pacers-Magic Prediction & Pick: Magic -2.5 (-112); Over 230 (-110)
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