Sitting just a half-game behind the fifth-placed Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic (33-26) will be searching to pick up back-to-back victories when they welcome the Utah Jazz (27-32) to Kia Center, Orlando on Thursday night.
The Magic are on the hunt for a playoff spot right now, and have won four of their last five to move to eighth in the Eastern Conference Standings. Meanwhile, the Jazz are on a torrid run and have recorded just one win across their last seven.
You can catch the action from the Sunshine State tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET, and Bet Rivers have Orlando listed as 6-point favorites (-109). The game total for the matchup is set at O/U 225. Find out our best pick for the game below!
Last Time Out
After securing a 108-81 triumph at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, the Magic will be most impressed by their dominating defensive display. It was a season-low for the Nets who also gave up 20 turnovers. The win was also significant for Orlando as they proved that they can win even without All-Star Paolo Banchero.
The Magic have been warming up just at the right time and have lost just three of their 11 games played in February thus far. They have won three of their four matchups since the All-Star break as well, including an impressive 116-109 win against the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
On the other hand, the Jazz have struggled now for some time, and their chances of even reaching the play-in look very slim. They suffered their sixth defeat in seven games on Tuesday, losing 124-97 against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were even without their star point guard in Trae Young too.
Utah’s only win of late has come against the 11-48 San Antonio Spurs so their chances of success this season are all but over. Memories of successive victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the beginning of the month are now long gone.
Injuries & Team News
Banchero has been missing for the past two games for Orlando due to illness and remains questionable to play in tonight’s game. However, he should be nearing a return soon, alongside Jonathan Isaac who is also questionable due to illness.
Otto Porter Jr. is not with the Jazz as he looks to explore his options and won’t feature here. Center Walker Kessler is listed as questionable on the injury report due to an ankle sprain. He had a double-double last time out against the Hawks so Utah will miss his presence on the court if he can’t play.
Head-to-Head
Orlando are 1-0 up in the season series with the Jazz after beating them 115-113 in Salt Lake City back in November. Banchero was the star man, putting up a game-high 30 points in the victory for the Magic.
However, Utah are 3-2 against their opponents tonight over their last five meetings. Orlando lost its last home clash with the Jazz 131-124 back in March, and they are just 2-3 in their last five matchups against Utah on their own court.
Betting Trends & Stats
One of the visitors’ strengths this season has been their offense as they are averaging 117.4 points per game (ppg) (11th-most in NBA). However, there should be some concerns after failing to reach 100 points against a Hawks team that has allowed the second-most ppg in the league.
It looks set to be even tougher here as the Magic have allowed just the sixth-least ppg in the league this season (110.3). They have also allowed just 101.6 ppg over their last five outings, limiting all of their opponents to less than 110 points.
Orlando should feel confident about finding the win tonight as they are also 5-1 over their past six at Kia Center. Utah has lost four straight on the road. The Magic have one of the best against the spread (ATS) records in the league (38-21-0), covering in 69.2% of their home games.
Nevertheless, the Jazz have performed well ATS this season, too, ranking inside the top 10 with a record of 31-27-1. However, they have struggled to cover on the road, and have an ATS record of 12-17-1 with a point differential of -10.6.
Key Players
Lauri Markkanen will offer the only real hope of a Jazz victory tonight. He leads the team in average points (23.0), as well as rebounds (8.4). Collin Sexton had a game-high 22 points in the last game against the Hawks, but Markkanen put in an underwhelming display, scoring just 11 points.
Averaging 22.2 ppg this season, Banchero is the key man for the Magic, and also leads the team in rebounds (6.8) and assists (5.2). Forward Franz Wagner will be the main threat on offense if Banchero doesn’t play as he averages 20.8 ppg. He put up a game-high 21 points against the Nets, but it was Orlando’s depth that impressed the most with five guys reaching double figures.
Best Bet
We’re fully expecting the Magic to carry on their strong streak at the moment and record the win against a woeful Jazz team. Even if Banchero doesn’t play, they should have enough quality to see off Utah.
The Jazz are not playing good basketball right now and will likely struggle up against a top defense, especially as they have been poor offensively of late. The Magic have covered excellently this season, particularly at home, and Utah’s issues on the road will likely continue. Back Orlando to cover.
Orlando Magic -6 (-109 with Bet Rivers)
