The Kings are hosting the Magic on Tuesday night. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Orlando is favored by 6.5 points and this game carries a total of 222.5 points.
Let’s get into my pick and prediction for this contest.
Kings vs. Magic prediction, preview
It’s been a disastrous start for the Kings, sitting at 1-9 and ranking 28th in net rating. Sacramento ranks bottom-six in both offensive and defensive rating, and its lone win of the season came against the Mavericks earlier this month.
Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine remain at the helm for the Kings, and rookie Darius Acuff Jr. has emerged as a legitimate scorer. Sabonis is stuffing the stat sheet with 15.3 points, 14.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, LaVine is averaging 21.4 PPG and Acuff Jr. is leading the Kings with 25.9 PPG, which ranks first among all rookies.
The problem is, LaVine and Acuff Jr. hog the ball, killing Sacramento’s chemistry, and this entire team has been horrible on defense. Opponents are shooting the ball at the highest clip in the league when facing the Kings (49.7%). Keegan Murray (wrist) will play tonight after being listed as questionable, marking his fourth game of the season. This is a plus, as Murray is one of the Kings’ best defenders, but Sacramento is still 0-3 with him active.
However, the Kings have been more competitive with Murray in the lineup, as two of those losses were by single digits to the Trail Blazers and Heat. Sacramento’s net rating is 4.1 points per 100 possessions better with Murray on the floor this season and the forward should provide a boost to this struggling team.
This is a legitimate chance for the Kings to get a win, too, as the Magic are off to a poor start themselves with a 2-7 record and ranking 24th in net rating. Orlando continues to be without Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (knee), and Tristan da Silva (calf) was downgraded to questionable earlier today.
It will be Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane leading the way with Anthony Black and Wendell Carter Jr. playing secondary roles. Wagner is coming off a 30-point and 11-assist double-double vs. the Warriors on Saturday and Carter Jr. posted a 19-point and 11-rebound double-double in that game as well, but Orlando dropped its fourth in a row.
Still, the Magic put up a fight against the red-hot Golden State team on its home floor, losing this game by seven points, and only three of Orlando’s seven losses have been by double digits. The Magic’s two wins were also legitimate, beating the Knicks and Raptors.
In short, the Magic can be a competent team despite their injuries, but finishing the job and getting wins has been difficult. With an extra day of rest in their favor and with a dysfunctional Kings team on the other side, this is the best opportunity the Magic have had to get a win this season and hopefully they can take advantage. Unfortunately, Orlando is 0-3 when favored this season, so beating the Kings may not be as easy as it seems.
Kings vs. Magic pick, best bet
This is a get-right spot for the Magic and they should be able to win this game. However, I don’t trust them to cover this 5.5-point spread, particularly with Murray active for the Kings, and I will be backing Sacramento to cover on its home floor.
This season, the Magic are 0-3 ATS when favored while the Kings are 3-2 ATS on their home floor. Sacramento is also 2-1 ATS with Murray in the lineup.
