In the early portion of tonight’s 10-game NBA slate, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Orlando Magic.
This will mark the third matchup between these Eastern Conference opponents this season. Back in October, the Sixers defeated the Magic 136-124 with neither Joel Embiid nor Paul George available. Then, the Magic blew out the Sixers 144-103 in the most recent matchup in late November.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the 76ers are 3.5-point favorites and hold -162 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Magic are +136 underdogs with the game total set at 226.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Friday night matchup.
76ers at Magic Preview
The Philadelphia 76ers are as healthy as they have been in two seasons and have begun to find their stride. They sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 20-15 record, and have won four of their last five games. The Sixers are 21-14 ATS on the season, and they’ve gone over the game total in 19 of their 35 matchups.
Joel Embiid is officially listed as questionable for tonight with right knee injury management. The former MVP has played five consecutive games, which is more than he has reached consecutively in nearly two calendar years. Beyond just his availability, Embiid has looked closer to the elite version of himself. On the season, Embiid is averaging 23.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists. But across his past nine games, Embiid is averaging 29.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists, on better efficiency. He even tallied his first two dunks of the season over the past week.
In his absence, Tyrese Maxey has stepped up as the face of the franchise. The Kentucky product is leading the NBA with 39.6 minutes per game, and averaging 30.7 points, 7.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 40.5% from beyond the three-point arc. Paul George has started to find his footing in his role, adding 15.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Quentin Grimes has made a strong impact off the bench, and third-overall pick V.J. Edgecombe has largely grown into the glue of the starting lineup. Dominick Barlow, Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond and Trendon Watford round out the usual rotation.
As a team, the Sixers rank 12th in the league in scoring at 117.6 points per game. They rank 12th in offensive rating, 25th in field goal percentage, 12th in three-point percentage and 19th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.2 points per game against them. This ranks 15th in the NBA, and the Sixers also rank 13th in defensive rating, 14th in opponent field goal percentage, and sixth in opponent three-point percentage.
The Orlando Magic made the all-in trade for Desmond Bane this summer, but have battled some early bumps in the road. They hold a record of 21-17 on the season, which puts them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Orlando has alternated wins and losses over their last 11 games and is 7-8 over its past 15. On the season, the Magic are 15-23 against the spread, and they are 19-19 to the over.
Franz Wagner remains sidelined for the Magic, along with Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner. Jase Richardson is also listed as questionable with ankle soreness. Paolo Banchero headlines the production with 21.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists, despite some efficiency struggles. Desmond Bane adds 18.9 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds with his shooting returning to its initial form. Anthony Black has taken an exciting leap forward in his production, while Wendell Carter Jr, Tristan Da Silva and Goga Bitadze all play a key role in the rotation.
Orlando is producing 116.6 points per game, which ranks 15th in the league. They rank 16th in offensive rating, 17th in field goal percentage, 25th in three-point percentage, 25th in three-point volume, and 17th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.2 points per game against the Magic, which ranks 13th in the NBA. They rank 12th in defensive rating, 22nd in opponent field goal percentage, and 15th in opponent three-point percentage.
76ers at Magic Prediction, Best Bet
Now in the fourth season of the Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner pairing, there is still not a definitive answer for which player is the more stable foundational building block, or if they can be maximized together. Tonight will not be a step towards figuring things out, as Wagner is sidelined, but this lack of identity for the Magic is continuing to be an issue. Orlando outclassed the Sixers in the previous matchup, in which it poured in 80 points in the paint, out rebounded Philadelphia 47-38, and forced 21 turnovers.
But the Magic have not faced this Sixers’ team at full strength, and expect the outlook to be a bit different with Joel Embiid and Paul George on the floor. Most metrics for the Sixers grade relatively similar to the Magic on the season, but Philadelphia has seen some really encouraging signs of late.
Embiid’s return to looking like himself is somewhat unprecedented and unexpected based on how the last two years have looked. His impact defensively still leaves a bit to be desired, but that is also trending in the right direction. He remains questionable for tonight, but expect him to impose himself as long as he is available.
Count on Philadelphia having a level of offensive punch that Orlando cannot match, especially with Franz Wagner sidelined. The Magic do a nice job limiting perimeter shots, allowing the second-fewest three-point attempts per game, but the Sixers are perfectly capable of getting downhill and attacking the rim. They have also made it a priority to increase their pace of play and get out in transition.
The Sixers have won four of their last five and will look to carry this momentum into the matchup. Count on the top-end talent of the team and the building continuity to be too much against a Magic team that is still searching for its identity. Oddsmakers still are not quite giving the Sixers enough respect when they are at full strength, and I am backing Philadelphia to cover the -3.5 in a win tonight.
