There are eight games of NBA action taking place across today’s Sunday slate. One of the headline matchups will be taking place between the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Each of these young teams entered the season expected to make the leap into the true contenders category. The Magic made a big trade for Desmond Bane, but they have struggled to find their stride in the early parts of this season. Orlando has shown some positive growth in recent games and enters on a three-game winning streak.
The Rockets made their big swing to add Kevin Durant in the offseason to add to their young core. They have looked the part of a legitimate contender to start the year, even following the offseason season-ending injury to Fred VanVleet.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Rockets enter as 7.5-point favorites and hold -310 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Magic hold +250 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 223.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
Magic at Rockets preview, prediction
The Orlando Magic enter with a 7-6 record on the season, but they have shown some positive growth. They opened the season with a 1-4 record, but have since won six of their last eight, including a three-game winning streak. Orlando will continue to be without Paolo Banchero as he recovers from his groin injury, while Jalen Suggs has been ruled out for tonight, and Mo Wagner remains out.
The Magic rank 20th in the league in scoring at 115.7 points per game. They have struggled to shoot the ball, ranking 14th in field-goal percentage and 22nd in three-point percentage while being 28th in field-goal attempts and 27th in three-point volume. Defensively, Orlando is holding opponents to 113.9 points per game, which is the ninth-best rate. It is limiting opponents to the fewest three-point attempts and ranks 16th in opponent field-goal percentage as well as 13th in opponent three-point percentage.
Franz Wagner headlines the production with averages of 22.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Desmond Bane has begun to settle in with his new team, posting averages of 15.8 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, while Wendell Carter Jr. leads the team with a 44.4% three-point percentage along with his 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Tristan da Silva, Anthony Black, Goga Bitadze and Jonathan Isaac round out most of the notable depth.
The Houston Rockets are off to an 8-3 start to the season and enter this matchup on a three-game winning streak of their own. Fred VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith remain out, while Tari Eason is the latest player to miss time. The LSU product is expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks with a hip injury.
Houston leads the league in scoring at 125.5 points per game. It is fifth in the league in field-goal percentage and is posting the best three-point percentage in the league at 42.7% collectively. The Rockets also lead the league in rebounds per game as well as offensive rebounds. Defensively, opponents are scoring 113.3 points per game against them, which ranks sixth in the league. They rank ninth in opponent field-goal percentage, but are 27th in opponent three-point attempts allowed.
Kevin Durant has perfectly filled the score-first role Houston was missing. The four-time scoring champion leads the team with 25.1 points to go along with 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Alperen Sengun has taken his game to new heights this season, posting averages of 22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game. Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. continue on their developmental arcs at the proper rate, while Reed Sheppard has settled in after being thrust into a larger-than-expected role. Steven Adams, Josh Okogie, Clint Capela and Aaron Holiday round out most of their notable depth.
Magic at Rockets prediction, best bet
After an ugly start to the season, it is encouraging to see the Magic begin to turn things around. But the Rockets have looked the part of a legitimate contender all season and are producing on both sides of the ball. While my lean would be toward the Magic keeping this competitive, I am backing the under of 223.5 points in this matchup.
Houston has exceeded expectations offensively in the early parts of the season, but when the dust settles, expect both these teams to hang their hats on the defensive end. The Rockets currently rank sixth in opponent points per game allowed, while the Magic are ninth in this category. The biggest weakness on the Rockets’ defense is their ability to defend the perimeter, with teams taking the fourth-most three-point attempts against them. But the Magic are not build to exploit this as they rank 27th in three-point attempts and 22nd in three-point percentage. The Rockets are also last in the league in three-point volume themselves, so expect most of the scoring to take place inside the arc.
Orlando was elite defensively last season, finishing the year ranked first in opponent points per game and second in defensive rating. Desmond Bane is a perfectly capable defender in his own right and has begun to settle into its defensive system. The absence of Jalen Suggs limits their defensive outlook to an extent, but the Magic will still be looking to impose themselves on this side of the ball.
This is a low total based on today’s NBA standards, but the Rockets have held opponents to 109 points or fewer in four games this season, while the Magic kept opposing teams under the total in six games and under 100 points in two matchups. Buckle up for some old-fashioned basketball and expect both teams to have some struggles scoring the ball. Expect a playoff-like atmosphere where points are difficult to come by on both sides of the ball and for this game to be an offensive grind. Look for this matchup to finish under the 223.5-point total and for the defenses to hold the upper hand across the board in this matchup.
