The Magic look to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings when they travel to face the tanking Raptors on Tuesday evening. After missing a chunk of the season with a torn oblique, Paolo Banchero is back on the floor and operating at an elite level.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Orlando is currently a 3-point favorite, with the game’s point total set at 215.5. Below, I’ve honed in on my favorite player prop centered around Banchero in this fascinating clash.
Best Paolo Banchero Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Paolo Banchero 25+ Points (-110)
Before he went down, Paolo Banchero was a likely candidate to take the leap to superstardom. Last year, this Orlando roster seemed a year away from being a year away. The frisky bunch greatly overachieved, snapping its playoff drought thanks to one of the league’s most crippling defenses. Offensively, the group revolved around Banchero.
With Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner currently sidelined, that offensive burden somehow increased for the 22-year-old. The Magic lack natural scorers. Undersized guard Cole Anthony is wildly inefficient, Wendell Carter Jr. isn’t a monster in the post, and the rest of the roster offers few to no creation threats. Banchero is the offensive engine who needs to facilitate and fill it up from the floor to ensure his squad has a chance to win.
Other teams have noticed this responsibility and made it a focal point to take Banchero out of games. He has four straight outings without crossing the 25-point threshold, including a ten-point dud in his recent performance against Dallas. Banchero struggles with his stroke from the mid-range and goes through spurts of abandoning his three-point shot.
Banchero has a great chance to break out of his slump against a Toronto squad 28th in defensive rating. Across the last 15 games, that figure drops to 30th. They offer little rim protection down low and rarely even seem engaged in applying on-ball pressure. In a game Orlando needs to have, Banchero should be aggressive and ready to score in bunches.
