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The Detroit Pistons will travel to take on the Orlando Magic in a Thursday night NBA matchup at the Amway Center in Orlando. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Pistons-Magic prediction and pick, laid out below.
Detroit has been downright awful this season, with a 15-44 record placing them in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have lost 11 of their last 14 games, giving up over 110 points in all 14 contests. Head coach Dwane Casey’s squad is in for the long haul for this rebuild.
Orlando has struggled, as expected in the rebuild, playing to a 24-35 record, 13th place in the Eastern Conference. January was an inconsistent month, with the team going an even 7-7. Orlando will likely miss the playoffs once again, continuing their rebuild.
Here are the Pistons-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Pistons-Magic Odds
Detroit Pistons: +7 (-106)
Orlando Magic: -7 (-114)
Over: 228 (-110)
Under: 228 (-110)
How To Watch Pistons vs. Magic
TV: Bally Sports Detroit, Ballu Sports Florida
Stream: NBA, NBA League Pass
Time: 7:10 PM ET/ 4:10 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
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Why The Pistons Could Cover The Spread
Bojan Bogdanovic leads the team with 21.8 points per game, shooting 40.7 percent from behind the arc. Last year’s fifth-overall pick Jaden Ivey has averaged 15.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Alec Burks, who plays almost exclusively off the bench, has averaged 12.9 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting from three-point land. Jalen Duren leads the team with 8.7 rebounds per game. Big man Isaiah Stewart is second on the team with 8.0 rebounds, also averaging 11.5 points per game. Saddiq Bey has averaged 14.8 points per game, which ranks third on the team. More noteworthy is his ability to protect the basketball, averaging just 1.0 turnover per game. San Antonio has only forced 14.0 turnovers per game. Killian Hayes has taken over point guard duties with Cunningham out and has averaged 5.8 assists per game, which would be a career-high.
Detroit has averaged just 112.3 points per game, which is 25th in the league. Adding to the team’s struggles, Detroit’s defense has allowed the second most points per game at 119.9.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
Orlando has dealt with their fair share of injuries in the last month or so, losing three more players for a significant time. Now, the team is getting healthy, possibly a sign of a turnaround. First-overall pick Paolo Banchero has been healthy, leading the team with 19.9 points per game, shooting 41.9 percent from the field. Banchero has also pulled in 6.6 rebounds per game, which is second on the team. The team’s leading rebounder, Wendell Carter, Jr., is back after missing time with a foot injury. Carter, Jr. has pulled down 8.5 rebounds while putting up 15.4 points per game.
Orlando is middle of the pack, averaging 42.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 20th in the league. Franz Wagner, the team’s second-leading scorer, has averaged 18.9 points per game. An impressive seven Magic players have averaged double-digit points this season. Gary Harris has shot 46.2 percent from behind the arc, while Detroit ranks in the middle of the pack of opponent three-point shooting.
Orlando has had a rough go on offense, ranking 28th in the league by averaging 110.9 points per game. Defense has been better, ranking 17th by allowing 113.7 points per game. Orlando has been great at limiting rebounds, allowing the seventh-fewest rebounds to their opponents.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick
This is a bad matchup, but Orlando has a bit more talent.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick: Orlando -7 (-114), over 228 (-110)
