Aaron Gordon available to play Wednesday vs. Heat [UPDATE]

UPDATE: March 4, 5:59 p.m. — Gordon will be available to play vs. the Heat. Gordon sat out the previous game against the Trail Blazers due to a knee injury. His return is a big boost for the Magic, who are 7-point underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook. I’d lean Orlando on the spread with Gordon back as long as he isn’t going to be limited.

UPDATE: March 4, 11:30 a.m. — Gordon is on track to return to the lineup vs. the Heat, per coach Steve Clifford.

UPDATE: March 3, 11:36 a.m. — Gordon is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. the Miami Heat. He was held out of Orlando’s loss to the Blazers on Monday night and things didn’t go well, as you can see below.

UPDATE: Magic vs. Blazers Recap — Without Gordon, the Magic ended up getting crushed. Despite closing as a 6.5-point underdog, the Blazers easily covered the spread and then some, winning outright by 23. The game also cruised over the total points line. The total was 220 and finished with 137 total points scored. This was a huge win for Portland, since it entered tonight having lost six of its last seven games.

With injuries on both sides, there were a couple of big fantasy performers. Stepping up with Lillard injured, C.J. McCollum ($9,300) scored 41 points and 58.25 DKFP. For Orlando, Nikola Vucevic ($8,400) posted a double-double and scored 51.25 DKFP without Gordon active.

UPDATE: March 2, 5:03 p.m. — Gordon has been ruled out vs. the Blazers. This will impact a few spots in DFS and betting. The spread right now for POR-ORL is Magic -7, so I don’t mind going after the Blazers on the points. Portland has been close to getting a few wins lately without Damian Lillard and this could be a spot the Blazers bounce back.

As for DFS plays, Gordon’s absence will open up Vucevic and Fournier to become more appealing tournament plays. Fournier I’d consider in cash games as well given he’s a bit cheaper. Ennis and Bamba are the values, though they don’t have very high ceilings. Gary Clark ($3,000) will start in place of Gordon, so he’s also in play but remember his ceiling will be low.

Orlando Magic PF Aaron Gordon is questionable to play Monday vs. the Portland Trail Blazers due to knee inflammation. Gordon had been on a tear since the All-Star break before cooling down in the Magic’s 113-114 loss to the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend.

Fantasy basketball and betting analysis: Aaron Gordon injury

Gordon ($8,300) still has a chance to play in this game. First, let’s look at who benefits if he’s sidelined. Nikola Vucevic ($8,400) would become a very strong GPP play given his low price and the matchup. Hassan Whiteside is used to getting in foul trouble and the Blazers lack size outside of the 7-footer. More usage would go towards Evan Fournier ($6,400), who has scored 20+ points in five of the past seven games. As far as value plays, James Ennis ($3,900) and Mohamed Bamba ($3,800) are decent plays sub-$4K if Gordon is out.

The Blazers are 6.5 point underdogs on the road. If Gordon is out, I like Portland to cover that spread on the road. The Magic don’t have an efficient offense and this game would be slow in pace in Orlando. I think that favors a closer game and the Blazers have had some bad luck lately. I’d monitor the line closely and then check on in-game bets if Gordon is out.

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