Jazz vs. Magic Recommended Spread Bet 3/9/23

Utah Jazz (31-35 SU, 34-29-3 ATS) vs. Orlando Magic (27-39 SU, 35-30-1 ATS)
When: Thursday, March 9th, 7:00 PM (ET)
Where: Amway Center, FL, Orlando
TV: BSF

Point Spread: UT +3.5/Orl -3.5
Total: 233.0
Money Line: Utah Jazz +131/-156

Notable Injuries

Jazz

• Jordan Clarkson (Questionable) Hand
• Collin Sexton (Out) Hamstring
• Walker Kessler (Questionable) Illness

Magic

• Jonathan Isaac (Out) Injury Management
• Wendell Carter Jr. (Out) Hip
• Admiral Schofield (Probable) Concussion

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Utah is 31-35 overall. When taking to the road, Utah has a mark of 11-22 and a win percentage of 33%. Currently, the team is 13th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 34-29-3 vs. the spread. Utah travels to take on the Magic, hoping to avoid their 5th straight loss.

In their last game, Utah was defeated by the Mavericks by a score of 120-116. Lauri Markkanen led the team in scoring with 33 points on a shooting percentage of 60.0%. Despite the loss, the Jazz managed to cover the spread as 10-point underdogs heading into the game. They will be looking to bounce back in their next game.

Heading into the game, Orlando is 27-39 overall. When playing at home, Orlando has a mark of 15-18 and a win percentage of 45%. Currently, the team is 13th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 35-30-1 vs. the spread. The Magic need a win in today’s matchup vs. Utah to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

Most recently, Orlando lost to the Bucks by a score of 134-123. Cole Anthony and his 23 points was not enough for the team to pull out a win as 2-point underdogs. The Magic also finished with an ATS loss in the game.

The Historicals

In the most recent game between the two teams, the Jazz picked up a 112-108 win over the Magic. However, heading into the game, Utah was favored to win by 5.5 points, giving the Magic and ATS victory. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. The Jazz have had the better record vs. the spread over the last five games, going 3-2. The team’s average scoring margin in these contests is 15 points per game. Utah and Orlando averaged a combined 219 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Analysis

This season, Utah is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 117.0 points per game. So far, the Jazz are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 100.3 possessions per game. The three-point shot has been a big part of Utah’s offensive game plan, as they are ranked 5th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.8% of their looks from the outside. Defensively, the Jazz have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 107.57 points per game. So far, they have allowed a 3-point shooting percentage of 35.09%, placing them 15th in the NBA.

Heading into this matchup, Utah is in jeopardy of not having Jordan Clarkson in the lineup as he is questionable. This season, he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 20.8 points per game. So far, Lauri Markkanen leads the team in scoring and is averaging 25.3 points per contest.

Coming into the game, Orlando’s offense is ranked just 28th in scoring at 111.2 points per game. This has come while being the 18th-ranked unit in pace. So far, the Magic are averaging 98.9 possessions per contest. Orlando has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 23rd in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.6%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 30.6 attempts per contest. On defense, the Magic allow an average of 112.23 points per game, placing them 20th in the league. So far, teams have shot 36.62% on their looks from outside vs. Orlando. This figure places them 27th in 3-point shooting defense.

Franz Wagner is the top scorer for the Magic, with an average of 18.8 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 48.7%. Paolo Banchero is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 20.0 points per game.

Betting Trends

• Jazz are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 Thursday games.
• Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on one day’s rest.
• Magic are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight-up loss.
• Magic are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following an ATS loss.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Utah Jazz are 1-5 in their last six road games. Orlando hasn’t been tallying wins. However, they’ve had some tough opponents recently. I like the Magic to beat the Jazz handily.