The Pistons will host the Magic tonight at 7 PM EST for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round. The Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac, while the Pistons have not yet submitted their injury report.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Pistons are favored by 8.5 points and this game carries a total of 218.5 points.
Let’s dive into three of my favorite player prop bets for Friday’s Game 2 matchup between the Pistons and Magic.
Best Magic vs. Pistons Player Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jalen Duren Under 13.5 Points (-104)
Duren failed to clear 13.5 points in every single game this series, averaging 10.2 PPG on 7.6 FGA. Even in Game 5, when Detroit dominated the offensive glass with Duren grabbing five offensive boards, he still failed to clear this number, despite a large portion of his scoring coming from putbacks and cleanup chances, normally. Duren’s struggled with Orlando denying him easy looks in the pick and roll and foul trouble. With Detroit’s offense primarily running through Cade Cunningham and the Magic relegating Duren to a screener and rebounder, I’m comfortable going Under on Jalen Duren’s scoring output once again.
Paolo Banchero Over 5.5 Assists (+106)
Paolo Banchero’s assist Over is enticing tonight because Orlando’s offense has become even more dependent on his decision-making with Franz Wagner ruled out. Banchero is averaging 6.4 APG through five playoff games against Detroit, and he just posted seven assists in Game 5 while also erupting for 45 points. His surgical performance demands that Detroit send more attention his way tonight, but Orlando still needs the ball in his hands on nearly every possession.
If the Pistons load up on Banchero tonight, he’ll have enough cutting and shooting (mainly Desmond Bane, which we’ll get to in a second) around him to turn those touches into kickouts, drop-offs, and weak-side looks. I like Banchero to go Over 5.5 assists.
Desmond Bane Over 2.5 Threes (+117)
Bane is one of the few capable floor spacers in Orlando’s rugged offense. He’s averaging 3.8 made triples this series and 2.8 made triples in 32 career postseason games. Despite how good Detroit’s offense has been, Bane’s role and volume on this team are impossible to ignore. He’s attempting 8.8 triples per game in this series, which means that he doesn’t need a heater to clear 2.5, he just needs an average or slightly below average shooting night.
Bane has gone Over 2.5 threes in three straight games, making seven triples in Game 3, five in Game 4, and four in Game 5. Additionally, Franz Wagner has been ruled out already for Game 6, which increases Bane’s offensive responsibility tonight. Paolo Banchero has forced Detroit to load up bodies on him, and this will allow Orlando’s shooters, especially Bane, to capitalize on some easy looks.
