2017 NBA Expert Picks: Atlanta At Orlando

The smoothest path to the online betting playoffs comes by winning the division, which of course is something that is easier said than done. There are a couple of divisions that are wide open right now, though, with the Southeast perhaps being the one most up for grabs. The Charlotte Hornets are sitting at the top, but there are only 3.5 games separating them from the 4th place Orlando Magic. It goes without saying that picking up wins against division foes is what might make the difference in this one, which is why the meeting between the Atlanta Hawks and the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday night is such a big one. Atlanta are 3 games up on the Magic in second place, and are on a decent run of form at the moment, but this is also a team that has had some serious ups and downs through the first half of the season. The Magic would love to close the gap a little, and the good news for them is that they have had some success versus Atlanta in recent years.

In Depth Analysis On The 2017 NBA Expert Picks: Hawks At Magic

When: Wednesday, January 4 at 7 PM EST Where: Amway Center, Orlando TV: Radio: WZGC and WDBO NBA Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Atlanta Hawks

After a serious dip in form, the Atlanta Hawks appear to be finding their feet again. They are coming into this week on a modest 3-game winning streak, although it should be noted that all those wins came on home court. The road has been less kind to Atlanta, who have complied an 8-9 record away from home, and they have also not fared very well against division foes this season, going just 3-4 so far. While things may be on the upswing for Atlanta now, these still seems to be some unrest, as the word is that they are actively looking to shift Paul Millsap, who just happens to be the top scorer on the team. This is the sort of distraction that can have a negative impact on the whole squad.

Why bet on the Orlando Magic

The Magic are sitting at 4 games below .500 right now, but there are some signs that they are making a slow, steady turn. They have won 3 of their last 5 games, although it’s fair to say that their best performances this season have come on the road. A perfect example of that can be found in their last meeting with the Hawks, where they went into Atlanta and came away with an impressive 131-120 victory. Going back to last season, the Magic have now won 3 straight games against the Hawks, and they need to make that 4 if they want to inch a little closer to their division foes, as well as a playoff spot.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

I think this will be a lower scoring affair than the last meeting between these two, but I still believe that the outcome will be the same, which means an Orlando win.

Atlanta Hawks 101 Orlando Magic 106