The Orlando Magic dropped to 1-4 with a 19-point loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, and now Orlando could be without Franz Wagner ($7,500) for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Hornets. The forward has been listed as questionable with a heel injury, while Jalen Suggs has been ruled out for injury management purposes.
Wagner posted 22 points, seven rebounds, and two assists across 33 minutes in last night’s loss to Detroit. He is averaging 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and three assists in 35 minutes per game on the season.
Wagner is handling a 23.5% usage rate, which is a dramatic drop from the 31.1% mark he saw last season. This decrease is mostly due to the arrival of Desmond Bane ($6,700), and if Wagner is out, Bane will be asked to take on a much larger role. In a limited sample of 36 minutes, Bane’s usage skyrockets 12.7 percentage points to a team-high 36.9% with Wagner off the floor this season.
Paolo Banchero’s ($8,800) already large workload would also reach new heights if Wagner misses time. With the wing off the court this season, Banchero’s usage increases 6.7 percentage points to 35.9%. With Suggs out, Anthony Black ($4,300) is the top candidate to start in Suggs’ place, and if Wagner joins Suggs on the sidelines, Tristan Da Silva ($3,700) would be the most logical choice to start in place of Wagner.
The Hornets rank fourth in pace and 21st in defensive rating this season, so this is a strong matchup for Orlando. Banchero and Bane both would be appealing DFS targets if Wagner is unavailable.
As a team, the Magic were a subpar 8-14 with Wagner inactive last season. Plus, they are 7-8 on the second leg of back-to-back sets the last two seasons.
Even with Wagner’s status in question, the Magic remain a 2.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. In this situation, backing the Hornets to cover this 2.5-point spread makes sense. Charlotte is 2-2 and they rank 13th in net rating this season. The Hornets are 19-16-1 ATS when competing as a home underdog the last two seasons.
