The Detroit Pistons make the trip to Orlando to take on a rising Magic squad. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pistons-Magic prediction and pick.
Don’t look now, but the Pistons are feeling the energy of the city and playing with a ton of momentum and confidence. The Lions are the best team in the NFL right now and the Pistons are tired of sucking also. It’s still very early, but the Pistons are 7-10 on the season and are playing at a high level. The Eastern Conference is not good right now, but the Pistons are playing like a playoff team which is a turn in the right direction. Detroit has been bad for a very long time and the process should remain at a slow pace, however, due to the lack of good teams in the conference, the Pistons could see success sooner rather than later.
The Orlando Magic are playing high-level basketball without their best player, Paolo Banchero. The former rookie of the year is dealing with an injury and should be out a handful more of games. Despite that, the Magic have won seven of their last eight games including a 6-game win streak before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers a couple of nights ago. On Thursday night, as the Cleveland Browns were upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers on TNF in the snow, the Magic upset the Los Angeles Lakers on the road. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were stunned as Franz Wagner hit a go-ahead three with seconds remaining to win the game, 119-118. Orlando is 10-7 and sits in 4th place in the East.
Here are the Pistons-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pistons-Magic Odds
Detroit Pistons: +9.5 (-108)
Moneyline: +350
Orlando Magic: -9.5 (-112)
Moneyline: -450
Over: 227 (-110)
Under: 227 (-110)
How To Watch Pistons vs. Magic
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, FanDuel Sports Network Florida
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Pistons Could Cover the Spread/Win
Cade Cunningham had an injury scare in the loss to the Hornets in the last game. He is out for this game and the Pistons can’t afford to lose him for long. He leads the team in scoring at 23.5 points per game which is 21st in the NBA. Cunningham is one of the top young guards in the league and is proving this season. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 7.2 rebounds on a team that also has Jalen Duren averaging 10.4 rebounds, and also averages 8.9 assists which is 4th in the NBA. Cunningham has had 10 assists in four straight games. He scored 27 points in the loss against Charlotte but was unable to finish the game.
Jaden Ivey is second on the team at 18.0 points per game and Malik Beasley is third at 15.5 per game. Tobias Harris is 4th on the team in scoring at 14.2 per game and provides a good veteran presence for his second stint with the Pistons. The 32-year-old played three seasons with Detroit from 2015-18 and averaged at least 16.1 points per game in all three years. He’s been a consistent player for his whole career and the more he scores the better for this team. This is a young team that does not have many vets outside of him, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Beasley.
Why the Magic Could Cover the Spread/Win
All hail the Wagner brothers! Franz and Mo have the Orlando fans in a frenzy as their team is not only playing very well, but they might have a future superstar on their hands. Mo Wagner has been in the league longer, but his younger brother is one of the best young stars in the league. Franz Wagner put himself in elite company when he defeated the Lakers. He is also making a case for an all-star season. He has stepped up since Banchero went down and is now averaging 23.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and shoots 47.2% from the field.
Jalen Suggs got paid before the season and is also a rising player in the league. He averages 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He scored 23 against the Lakers which was necessary for their upset win. If Suggs can limit the turnovers then he will put the Magic in more positions to win.
Wendell Carter Jr. is questionable.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick
With Cunningham out, I like the Magic to cover this spread at home. They are the better team and have all the momentum right now. Even without Banchero, the Magic have proven to be one of the better teams in the East.
Final Pistons-Magic Prediction & Pick: Magic -9.5 (-112)
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