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The Los Angeles Lakers will head to Central Florida for a showdown with the Orlando Magic. It will be a clash at Amway Arena as we continue our NBA odds series and make a Lakers-Magic prediction and pick.
The Lakers lead the head-to-head series 46-25. Furthermore, the Lakers are 7-3 in the past 10 games against the Magic, including 4-1 in five games at Amway Arena. The Magic edged out the Lakers 119-118 in a thriller earlier this season at Crypto.
Here are the Lakers-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Lakers-Magic Odds
Los Angeles Lakers: -4 (-110)
Moneyline: -174
Orlando Magic: +4 (-110)
Moneyline: +146
Over: 216 (-110)
Under: 216 (-110)
How To Watch Lakers vs. Magic
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet-LA, FanDuel Sports Florida and NBA TV
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Lakers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lakers still control their destiny despite a blowout loss at home to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Significantly, they will come into this showdown in fourth place in the Western Conference, 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for the second seed and a half-game behind the Denver Nuggets, with the Memphis Grizzlies right behind them. But to start this final 12-game stretch on the right foot, the Lakers will need to do better against the Magic than they did last time.
This game against the Magic was back-and-forth. Unfortunately, they allowed Franz Wagner to burn them with a game-winning three-pointer. LeBron James dominated that game, going off for 31 points while shooting 12 for 22. Meanwhile, Dalton Knecht had 17 points while shooting 7 for 14 from the floor. Austin Reaves struggled, scoring nine points while shooting 3 for 12 from the field. Ultimately, the one wildcard here is Luka Doncic, who was not a Laker at the time. We just saw him go off for 34 points on Saturday. Before that, he had 31 points against the Denver Nuggets. Overall, he has hit at least 30 points in four of five games.
The Lakers must play better on defense. Sadly, they allowed the Bulls to score 146 points while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor, including 46.3 percent from beyond the arc. Plus, they lost the board battle 42-35. Not having a reliable big man has been a problem. The good news is that the Magic also struggle on the boards, so the Lakers can capitalize on this.
Last time, the Lakers shot 50.6 percent from the floor, including 41.9 percent from the triples. Moreover, they struggle at the free-throw line, hitting just 65.4 percent.
The Lakers will cover the spread if James, Doncic, and Reaves can all hit their shots and be reliable. Then, they must win the board battle and not allow the Magic to get second chances.
Why the Magic Could Cover the Spread/Win
Paolo Banchero has shone since returning from an injury a few months ago. Amazingly, he continues to lead the Magic and put buckets. Consider the fact that he did not play when the Magic stunned the Lakers in Los Angeles. Yet, the Magic also had Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner at the time, so this team is very different than it was at the time. Banchero and Wagner (Franz) are still two of the better players in the game, but can the rest of this team hold up?
Wagner went off last time, scoring 37 points while shooting 13 for 26 from the hardwood. Meanwhile, Tristan Da Silva added 12 points, while Gary Harris had 11 points. The Magic shot 47.3 percent from the floor, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Also, the rebounding edge (48-36) helped them stay in the game so they could steal it. Speaking of steals, the Magic had eight thefts and blocked five shots.
The Magic will cover the spread if Wagner and Banchero can hit their stride and find good shots while also generating second chances. Then, they must contain Doncic and James while forcing them to defer to their teammates.
Final Lakers-Magic Prediction & Pick
The Lakers are 39-30-1 against the spread, while the Magic are 33-37-1 against the spread. Additionally, the Lakers are 15-17-1 against the spread on the road, while the Magic are 17-17-1 against the spread at home. The Lakers are 11-15-1 against the spread when facing the Eastern Conference, while the Magic are 8-16-1 against the spread when facing the East.
The Lakers are coming off a humiliating loss. Ultimately, they will want to bounce back and figure out a way to play well. This will be the first of three games in four days, so the Lakers will want to pace themselves while also finding ways to put the rock into the hoop. I think the Lakers get their revenge, but I think the Magic will cover the spread at home.
Final Lakers-Magic Prediction & Pick: Orlando Magic: +4 (-110)
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