Battle of the… well, at least neither of these two teams is the worst in the NBA thanks to the Rockets. Still, the Magic and Pistons are at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. But that’s all we’ve got for NBA action on Thursday. Here’s how to best navigate Magic-Pistons via DraftKings Sportsbook.
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons
Total under 219 -110
These two teams have met three times this season, and the under has hit twice — the one exception resulting in a 222-point contest. Given their respective overall records aren’t great, it’s no surprise to see these two teams rank among the bottom 10 in defensive efficiency. The Pistons — who will be without Jerami Grant — are middle of the pack in terms of tempo, but the Magic are 10th.
While those signs point to the over hitting, there’s another factor to consider: only the Thunder have a worse offensive rating than the Magic and Pistons. And while these two teams are 50-50 in terms of the under hitting, the under has hit in five of Orlando’s last seven and in six of Detroit’s last seven.
Magic -3 -110
The Magic have had a tough road since the All-Star break, taking on the likes of Toronto, Memphis, Phoenix, Boston, Philadelphia and a rejuvenated Nets team. But Orlando has gone 5-5 since the pause, thanks in part to games against the Rockets and a depleted Pacers team. And all it would’ve taken is a few possessions going differently for the Magic to be 7-3 during said span. The Magic are, however, 7-3 ATS since the break, covering in the two games they were favored (against Houston and Indy).
The Pistons are a cool 9-2 ATS since the break, but they’ve failed to cover in two of the three games in which they’ve gotten four points or fewer since the break. And while Grant’s absence will give other players opportunities, it’s not going to help the Pistons compete on both ends of the floor.
Same Game Parlay: Saddiq Bey over 4.5 rebounds and 3+ 3-pointers +125
Bey has had a down year from beyond the arc, and things haven’t exactly picked up for him in that department since the break. But, he’s had no shortage in the way of volume, averaging seven 3-point attempts per game in Detroit’s 11 games since the break. With Grant out, he should easily get two to three more 3-point attempts. If he does, he just needs to keep doing what he’s done since the break, shooting 31.2% from beyond the arc.
And the Magic should help him do so. Orlando has the fifth-highest opponent 3-point percentage in the NBA (36.4%). Although Bey has only gone over this number once vs. the Magic this season, he’s knocked down multiple 3-pointers against them each time and only taken more than seven 3-point attempts against them once.
As for his work on the glass, we just need Bey to have an average night. He’s grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game since the break, logging five-plus in seven of 11 games. Each time Detroit has faced Orlando, Bey has grabbed at least five boards.
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