The fifth-seeded Orlando Magic face off against the 11th-seeded Toronto Raptors in what should be a close game.
While Toronto has been super up and down so far this season, the Magic have exceeded expectations in many ways. They haven’t had spectacular showings against top teams, but they have managed to string together a sizable number of wins, taking home a dub in four of their last five games.
This recent success, paired with Paolo Banchero’s solid play, makes us lean slightly in favour of the Magic in this one. Even just factoring in recent success and taking a look at Toronto’s rough last few weeks, Orlando has more momentum going into Tuesday’s game.
Toronto definitely isn’t out of this one, though; they still have a competent roster centred around Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam. They have just drawn the short stick over the last few weeks, facing off against the Celtics twice and the Bucks once, taking three quick L’s.
In terms of matchups, these squads line up quite nicely, with neither really showcasing any real superstars. Instead of one player creating gravity here, expect a varied offence from both sides, with everyone really getting involved.
Any number of players could turn on the heat here, from the Raptors Scottie Barnes to Orlando’s Franz Wanger. Whoever gets hot will likely be fed with the ball; there shouldn’t be any egos.
All in all, choosing to bet on either side isn’t a bad choice here, and bookmakers agree. We just have to give a slight advantage to Orlando on this one, especially with their recent successes and last win over the Pacers.
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Magic vs Raptors Odds, Spread Prediction
- Pick: Magic -2.5
- Odds: +110 (TonyBet)
The Magic come into this game looking to prolong their winning streak to four, and there is a good chance they will do just that. This one should come down to the end of the fourth quarter, but Orlando definitely has the ability to put the Raptors away.
While the Raptors have subscribed to the philosophy of length and athleticism, this is likely going to be quite a large mismatch with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Siakam should be able to pick up one of the two, but there really isn’t anyone else on the Raptors to keep up with the other 6’10 forward.
Adding insult to injury, both Banchero and Wagner prefer to take it to the basket, which should pose a real threat whenever the Raptors run a shorter line.
However, even with their size, Orlando really struggled on the glass against the Pacers in their last game. And if someone like seven-foot Jakob Poetl comes crashing the glass hard, the Magic could struggle quite a bit.
All in all, Orlando definitely has the momentum coming into this one but shouldn’t win by too large of a margin. It will probably go back and forth throughout the game before the Magic’s mismatches beat the Raptors in the crunch.
That is to say, Orlando should have no issues covering a spread of -2.5, in reality, they should win by four or five points. You can expect a real nail-biter on this one, but come on, who doesn’t like some tense NBA action?
Magic vs Raptors Player Pick and Betting Tip
- Pick: Pascal Siakam over 21,5
- Odds: -113 (TonyBet)
Scottie Barnes may have the higher average points so far this season, but over the last five games, Siakam has definitely been the number-one option. Outside of one outlier loss to the Bucks, he has averaged 25.5 points, well above his season average of 19.4.
Siakam has definitely had to shoulder some of the scoring responsibility, and that shouldn’t change against the Magic. He should have a field day in transition here, as he is one of the most athletic and agile players on the court at all times.
He also really has a knack for exploiting defensive gaps and is able to finish strong at the rim. And against the Magic, whose defence has struggled to consistently keep teams under the 105-point mark, Siakam will likely find ample opportunities to capitalise.
The Raptors may not win this one, but that shouldn’t stop Siakam from getting his and scoring some baskets. His slashing and shot-making ability should let him easily reach 20-22 points, especially against a team built like Orlando.
