The Orlando Magic haven’t made the playoffs in years and are looking at yet another losing record and trip to the lottery. But the Philadelphia 76ers have proven that a complete rebuild can work if you give it time. The Sixers could be setup for a trap game Thursday in the second of a back-to-back in Orlando. The NBA lines favor the 76ers to win vs. Orlando.
The Magic suck, but the Sixers aren’t near as good on the road and will likely be a bit tired after Wednesday’s game and all the travel.
Orlando has lost two straight and seven of eight. On Tuesday, it was 93-86 at home vs. Toronto. Orlando led 67-56 midway through the third quarter and 76-68 heading into the final stanza. However, Toronto opened the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run and never looked back. The Magic made just 3-of-19 attempts from the field during the last 12 minutes.
Aaron Gordon was finally back in action on Tuesday and had 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. He’d missed five straight games with his concussion and spent a lot of time playing alongside Jonathan Isaac. Coach Frank Vogel said after the game he envisions the duo playing alongside each other and being elite defensively in the future. Isaac had 10 points, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks in 28 minutes.
However, Isaac (left foot strain) is doubtful for Thursday. This is a new injury for Isaac as the rookie has struggled to stay healthy. Khem Birch should go back to playing more while Mario Hezonja is headed for more time at forward, too. Jonathon Simmons (right wrist contusion) did not practice on Wednesday and is being listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game. Simmons sat out Tuesday’s game, which resulted in Arron Afflalo drawing the start.
After a season-long five-game road trip, the Magic are in the midst of a season-long seven-game, 17-day homestand from March 14-30 (currently 1-2 record). The seven-game homestand ties for the second-longest in team history. The Magic are 14-20 at home this season.
Orlando is averaging 104.4 ppg. (7,412 points) this season, has scored 100+ points 49 times (21-28 record), 110+ points 26 times (14-12 record) and 120+ points seven times (5-2 record), including a season-high 128 points on Nov. 10 @ Phoenix. Last season, they averaged 101.1 ppg. (8,288 points) and scored 100+ points 45 times (23-22 record).
How to Bet Sixers at Magic NBA Lines & Game Prediction
When: Thursday, 7 PM ET Where: Amway Arena, Orlando TV: NBA League Pass, NBA TV Stream: NBA.tv Radio: 97.5 FM (Philadelphia) / 580 AM (Orlando) NBA Lines: 76ers -7 (212.5)Season Series
The 76ers lead 2-0, winning both in Philly. On Nov. 25, the Sixers prevailed 130-111. J.J. Redick scored 29 points, including 8-of-12 from three-point range. Dario Saric chipped in 21 for Philadelphia, while Joel Embiid added 18 points and 14 rebounds. Elfrid Payton (now gone) led the Magic with 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Philadelphia shot 50.5 percent from the floor and was 16-of-34 from three-point territory. The Sixers also outrebounded the Magic, 53- 41. On Feb. 24, Embiid tallied 28 points and 14 rebounds as Philadelphia defeated Orlando, 116-105. Six Philadelphia players scored in double figures, including Ben Simmons, who had 17 points and seven assists. Aaron Gordon led the Magic with 20 points and seven assists. Orlando has still won 13 of the last 19 and 27 of the last 36 regular season meetings overall. The Magic have won 19 of the last 25 meetings at home.Why Bet on Philadelphia?
It’s the second of a back-to-back for Philly as it hosted Memphis on Wednesday. So will the 76ers rest a key guy or two here like Joel Embiid? He has been playing the second of back-to-backs lately. Ben Simmons is locking up the Rookie of the Year Award. In Monday’s win over Charlotte, he had 11 points with 15 assists and 12 rebounds. Since 1963-64, Simmons and Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Walt Frazier are the only rookies to record 11 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds in a single game. Simmons’ nine triple-doubles are the most by a 76er since Wilt Chamberlain posted 31 in 1967-68. It was his fourth straight point-assist double-double, the longest streak by a rookie since Darren Collison in 2010. Philly has pulled down at least 50 rebounds as a team 21 times, tied for the most in the NBA this season with the L.A. Lakers. It’s the first time the Sixers have recorded at least 21 such games since 1984-85 when they recorded 23. Philadelphia leads the league in rebounding with 46.8 boards per game. The Sixers also are working on a string of 22 straight games with at least 20 assists. It’s the longest such streak by a Sixers team since Nov. 24, 1992-Jan. 13, 1993 when the team notched 24 straight games. The Sixers have not had a game under 20 assists since Feb. 2.Why Bet on Orlando?
The Magic suck, but the Sixers aren’t near as good on the road and will likely be a bit tired after Wednesday’s game and all the travel.
Orlando has lost two straight and seven of eight. On Tuesday, it was 93-86 at home vs. Toronto. Orlando led 67-56 midway through the third quarter and 76-68 heading into the final stanza. However, Toronto opened the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run and never looked back. The Magic made just 3-of-19 attempts from the field during the last 12 minutes.
Aaron Gordon was finally back in action on Tuesday and had 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. He’d missed five straight games with his concussion and spent a lot of time playing alongside Jonathan Isaac. Coach Frank Vogel said after the game he envisions the duo playing alongside each other and being elite defensively in the future. Isaac had 10 points, five rebounds, five steals and two blocks in 28 minutes.
However, Isaac (left foot strain) is doubtful for Thursday. This is a new injury for Isaac as the rookie has struggled to stay healthy. Khem Birch should go back to playing more while Mario Hezonja is headed for more time at forward, too. Jonathon Simmons (right wrist contusion) did not practice on Wednesday and is being listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game. Simmons sat out Tuesday’s game, which resulted in Arron Afflalo drawing the start.
After a season-long five-game road trip, the Magic are in the midst of a season-long seven-game, 17-day homestand from March 14-30 (currently 1-2 record). The seven-game homestand ties for the second-longest in team history. The Magic are 14-20 at home this season.
Orlando is averaging 104.4 ppg. (7,412 points) this season, has scored 100+ points 49 times (21-28 record), 110+ points 26 times (14-12 record) and 120+ points seven times (5-2 record), including a season-high 128 points on Nov. 10 @ Phoenix. Last season, they averaged 101.1 ppg. (8,288 points) and scored 100+ points 45 times (23-22 record).
Latest NBA Lines Trends
- Philadelphia is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
- Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia’s last 8 games when playing Orlando
- Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
- Orlando is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Orlando’s last 9 games
