Every team in the NBA plays a team from the opposite conference twice each season, once home and once away. Except the Orlando Magic won’t get a home game vs. the Utah Jazz because the first meeting between the clubs was in Mexico. The Magic visit Salt Lake City as solid NBA lines underdogs on Wednesday.
Magic vs Jazz NBA Week 13 Lines & Expert Pick
HOOK ‘EM, D.J. 🤘 pic.twitter.com/cRq1FXX8sV
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) 8 de enero de 2019
- When: Wednesday, 9 PM ET
- Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena
- TV: NBA TV
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- Radio: TuneIn
- NBA Week 13 Lines: Utah Jazz -8.5 (Total 206)
Season Series
Orlando leads 1-0. On Dec. 15 in Mexico City, the Magic beat the Jazz 96-89. Evan Fournier led with 24 points. Terrence Ross netted 19 points off the bench, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, while Nikola Vučević recorded 15 points and a season-high 19 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points for the Jazz, while Derrick Favors added 21 points. The Magic held Utah to just 31.5 percent from the floor. Leading 84-79, the Magic put the game away after three-pointers by Aaron Gordon and D.J. Augustin during the final 1:12. The Magic have lost 12 of their last 16 meetings with the Jazz overall, including seven of 10 in Salt Lake City.
Why Bet on Orlando?
The Magic could be running out of gas on a long road trip as they dropped a third straight by double digits on Monday, 111-95 in Sacramento. The Kings went ahead by double digits in a dominant second period and led by 28 entering the fourth. They outscored the Magic 24-12 in fast-break points and were even more dominant in the paint, owning a 64-24 edge.
Terrence Ross scored 20 points vs. the Kings with five triples, two assists, two steals, and one rebound. He shot 7-of-12 from the field and did all of his damage in 23 minutes, but he also had 10 points in garbage time with the game already decided. He’s played 23+ minutes in four straight games and is having a strong year as Orlando’s sixth man. Jonathan Isaac scored just two points on 1-of-6 shots vs. the Kings on Monday, adding one rebound and one steal in 23 minutes. Aaron Gordon shot 3 of 13 and had 10 points.
Nikola Vucevic had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Orlando, which has dropped eight of 11. Vucevic has led (or tied) the team in scoring 16 times, in rebounding 31 times and in assists eight times. He has scored in double figures 37 times, 20+ points 21 times and 30+ points five times, including a season-high 36 points on Nov. 17 vs. L.A. Lakers.
The Magic are shooting .349 (436-1,250) from three-point range and made 10+ three-pointers 26 times (13-13 record), including a season-high 20 three-pointers on Dec. 5 vs. Denver. They shot .351 (844-2,405) from beyond the arc last season and connected on 10+ three-pointers 49 times (16-33 record).
Why Bet on Utah?
Utah completed a four-game trip with a 114-102 loss at Milwaukee on Monday. The Jazz held a three-point advantage heading to the fourth quarter, but Milwaukee grabbed control late after Malcolm Brogdon’s 3-pointer pushed its lead to 105-99. The Bucks built the margin to eight with about three minutes left on two free throws by Brook Lopez, who nailed a deep 3 about a minute later to give Milwaukee an 11-point cushion and seal the victory.
Donovan Mitchell hit 8-of-24 shots for 26 points. The rest of his line wasn’t much better with three rebounds, one assist, and seven turnovers, but at least he hit six triples. Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost starting point guard Ricky Rubio to a right hamstring injury less than five minutes into the game. He didn’t return.
Rubio (right hamstring) is expected to miss roughly the next two weeks of action. Rubio’s MRI results revealed no structural damage, but given the tricky nature of hamstring injuries, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Rubio’s absence extend beyond this two-week window. Rubio has five double-doubles on the season and has led the Jazz in assists 25 times this season.
Raul Neto could enter the starting five while Rubio and Dante Exum (ankle) are out, and Donovan Mitchell will spend more time at the point guard position. Neto put up 10 points, six boards, five dimes, and two 3-pointers across 29 minutes on Monday. Thabo Sefolosha (right hamstring) is expected to miss the next 10-12 days of action but he’s not a huge part of the rotation.
Magic vs Jazz NBA Betting Trends
- Underdog is 19-6-1 ATS in the last 26 meetings
- Road team is 10-3 ATS in the last 13 meetings
- Orlando is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
- Orlando is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Orlando’s last 9 games on the road
- Utah is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
- Utah is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah’s last 7 games at home
Expert NBA Betting Prediction for Magic vs Jazz
Jazz win by 10.
