Magic vs. Hawks: 3 Best Bets
The Orlando Magic is hoping to start a winning streak tonight against the Atlanta Hawks, who are coming off a win against the San Antonio Spurs. Orlando’s defense kept them atop the New York Knicks on Monday, and they are aiming to do it again tonight.
The Hawks are resting on the laurels of Trae Young, who lit the Spurs up for 36 points. He will be the focal point of Orlando’s plan of attack. The Magic needs to sort out their offense, which hasn’t scored more than 100 points in any of the last four games. A balanced attack of an elite defense and reliable offense will be needed.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5).
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Both teams have hefty injury reports. Franz Wagner and Gary Harris are out for Orlando, while Mouhamed Gueye, De’Andre Hunter, Vit Krejci, and Wesley Matthews are all out for Atlanta.
Check out our three best bets below, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Hawks -3.5 (-110)/Magic +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Hawks (-167)/Magic (+135)
Over/under: 231.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Paolo Banchero OVER 27.5 points (-125)
The last time Paolo Banchero hit this line was five games ago. However, the Hawks simply do not play defense. They have the second-worst defense in the league, allowing 123.5 points per game. On top of that, since Wagner has been out, Banchero has been shouldering the offense. With no one to stop him and no one else to put up big numbers with a degree of reliability, the over is looking good.
Opponent pick: Saddiq Bey OVER 12.5 points (-133)
Bey hasn’t been on fire, shooting only 29 percent from three over his last five games, but he has averaged 14.8 points during that span. The Magic are solid at defending the perimeter, but Bey has been expanding his game, scoring on the interior as well. With Hunter out for Atlanta, Bey has been passable as a starter and is looking like a legitimate rotation player for the Hawks.
Team pick: Magic to win (+135)
The Hawks have lost four of six, and are still reeling from an overtime loss to Orlando on January 7th. This game comes down to a rather simple question: what’s better–Orlando’s defense or Atlanta’s offense? The Hawks score the fourth-most points, and Orlando allows the fourth-fewest points. However, Orlando’s offense is better than Atlanta’s defense is bad, so the defensive-minded team should win, which is usually the case, even if they have to travel.
