The Orlando Magic (19-15) travel to face off against the Denver Nuggets (25-11) on Friday, January 5th. This game will be played at Ball Arena. The Nuggets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Magic are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Warriors. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Magic vs Nuggets

The Magic Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Magic will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Kings with a final score of 138-135. Turning the tide, the Magic picked up the win, overcoming a halftime deficit of 67-55.

With a 19-15 record, the Magic will be looking to pull off an upset today as they are +10 point underdogs. On the road, the Magic are 7-11 compared to their 12-4 home record.

Orlando has an overall ATS record of 23-11 for the season so far. On the road, the Magic have an ATS record of 11-7, as opposed to a 12-4 record against the spread when playing at home.

The Nuggets Are Coming Off A Win

The Nuggets took down the Warriors in their most recent game with a final score of 130-127. The Nuggets entered the game as -4-point favorites, but their 3 point victory fell short of covering the spread. Before the game, the over/under line was 235 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s game against the Magic, the Nuggets are 25-11 overall and have a winning record above .500. In non-conference games, the Nuggets are 9-2 compared to 16-9 against Western Conference opponents.

Denver’s ATS record is currently below .500 at 16-19 for the season. In their last two games as underdogs, the Nuggets have faced ATS losses, and they have a 15-17 record against the spread as favorites.

Magic Offense Breakdown

This season, the Orlando offense is ranked 20th in the NBA in scoring at 113.6 points per game. So far, Orlando is averaging 99.6 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Yet, they are still a below average group in terms of made shots per game. So far, the Magic are 23rd in fields goals made per contest.

Nuggets Offense Breakdown

The Nuggets come into today’s game as the 13th ranked scoring offense at 115.6 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Nuggets will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12 made 3’s per game. If Denver continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 29th in the league in possessions per game.

Magic Team Defense

Coming into today’s game, the Magic’s defense is giving up an average of 111.8 points per contest. Orlando’s defense is currently forcing 14.4 turnovers per game, which is 25th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 11th in blocked shots, with an average of 5.6 rejections per game.

Nuggets Team Defense

At present, the Nuggets’ defense is ranked 3rd, allowing 110.2 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Nuggets squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 52.2% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.8% from downtown.

Key Players For The Magic And Nuggets

In today’s game, our projections have Paolo Banchero leading the Magic with 20 points on 7/16 shooting from the field. During this season, he is delivering an average of 22.4 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds.

On the other side, Nikola Jokic is our projected leading scorer for the Nuggets. We have him ending the game with a team-high 25 and grabbing 12 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 56.5%, and his scoring average is 26 points per game.

Magic vs Nuggets Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Orlando has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 119 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• In their last five home games, Denver has averaged 116 points per game while allowing 109. The team’s record in this stretch was 5-0 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Magic have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-1.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Denver has a poor record vs the spread going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

 

Magic vs Nuggets Prediction

 

Coming in as the underdogs at +10, we have the Magic as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 222.5, and our model predicts the Magic and Nuggets to score a combined 217 points. We recommend betting on the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.