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The Orlando Magic are 13th in the Eastern Conference, but they are certainly a team on the rise. They could be in a spot to make some noise post all-star break and in their first game back they beat Detroit, 108-106 and got 21 points from Franz Wagner. The Indiana Pacers are 12th in the East and had a bit of a tougher test in their return to action, the top seeded Boston Celtics. Indiana got it to overtime and Myles Turner finished with 40 points, but they fell 142-138.
The Magic are a half a game back of Indiana in the standings, but they’re favorites at home today. Here are the odds for the Pacers and Magic in Orlando.
Pacers vs. Magic odds, spread and total
Pacers vs. Magic prediction and pick
Indiana, like most young teams, fares much better at home. They are 1-9 against the spread in their last 10 road games. Meanwhile, Orlando is 15-15 straight up at home. Orlando’s offensive rating is 111.3 overall and their net rating is -2.5, but in home games those improve to 114.1 and -0.1. Indiana’s offense travels, but their defense falls off a cliff on the road. In road games their defensive rating is 117.9.
Home court is a huge advantage in this game between young teams. The other huge advantage is the Orlando front court. They are huge with Wendell Carter Jr. Paolo Banchero, and Franz Wagner all in their starting lineup. They are top 10 in defensive rebound percentage and grab 10 offensive rebounds a game. They should dominate on the boards because Indiana is last in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate. Orlando will win the battle of the paint and unless Indiana shoots the lights out from deep the Magic should win and cover. Orlando is sixth in opponent three-point percentage, so that isn’t likely.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change