Lakers vs. Magic: Monday Night NBA Best Bet and Game Preview

Los Angeles Lakers (43-27 SU, 39-30 ATS) vs. Orlando Magic (33-38 SU, 34-37 ATS)

When: Monday, March 24th, 7:00 PM (ET)

Where: Kia Center, FL, Orlando

TV: SN-LA

Point Spread: LAL -4.5/Orl +4.5

Total: 215.5

Money Line: Los Angeles Lakers -186/+157

Notable Injuries

Lakers

• LeBron James (Probable) Groin
• Maxi Kleber (Out) Foot
• Rui Hachimura (Questionable) Knee

Magic

• Moritz Wagner (Out) Knee
• Cole Anthony (Questionable) Toe
• Trevelin Queen (Questionable) Ankle
• Jalen Suggs (Out) Knee

At 7:00 ET, the Lakers (-186) will take on the Magic (+157) in a non-conference matchup. Los Angeles is favored by 4.5 points and has lost two straight games. The over/under line for this game is 215.5.

This game will be played at the Kia Center in Orlando and can be seen on SN-LA. The Lakers are currently 4th in the Western Conference with a record of 43-27. The Magic are 8th in the East and have a record of 33-38.

Recent Form

The Lakers dropped to 43-27 on the season after a 146-115 loss to the Bulls on Saturday. Los Angeles, who were favored by 10.5 points, lost by 31 at home. The total points for the game were 261, exceeding the over/under line of 238.5 by 22.5 points.

After trailing 32-31 after the 1st quarter and 65-62 at halftime, the Lakers were outscored 39-27 in the 3rd quarter. Chicago continued to dominate in the 4th, outscoring Los Angeles 42-26 to seal the win.

Orlando improved to 33-38 on the season with a 120-105 road win over the Wizards on Friday. The Magic, favored by 8.5 points, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 225 points went over the 214.5-point line.

Orlando took control by outscoring Washington 34-24 in the 2nd quarter and 35-17 in the 3rd, entering the 4th with a 102-71 lead. A 13-0 run by the Wizards made it 78-75, but the Magic responded to close out the game.

The Historicals

When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Magic hold the edge at 4-1. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just -2 points per game. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 224 points per game.

Analysis

In the Lakers’ 146-115 loss to the Bulls, Luka Dončić led the way with 34 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, hitting eight threes at a 61.5% clip. He scored 17 points in the 1st quarter and added 12 more in the 2nd. Austin Reaves contributed 25 points, 14 of which came in the 2nd quarter.

The Lakers hit 17 threes, shooting 41.5% from deep and 48.2% overall. LeBron James added 17 points, with six coming in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.

The Lakers struggled defensively on Saturday, giving up 146 points to the Bulls. They allowed at least 32 points in every quarter, including 39 in the 3rd and 42 in the 4th. Chicago shot 58% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Bulls hit 19 threes, shooting 46%. They also went 15/20 from the free-throw line. The Lakers gave up 10 offensive rebounds while recording eight steals and one block.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic to a win over the Wizards with 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, shooting 50% from the field and hitting three threes at 60%. Franz Wagner added 21 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 53.8% with two threes at 50%.

Orlando connected on 17 threes, shooting 40.5% from deep and 47.9% overall. Banchero scored 11 points in the 2nd quarter and 10 in the 3rd, while Carter added 11 points in the opening period.

Despite a rough 4th quarter where they allowed 34 points, the Magic held the Wizards to 105 points overall, thanks to a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter, where they gave up just 17 points. Orlando limited Washington to 42% shooting from the field.

The Magic struggled to contain the Wizards from beyond the arc, allowing 17 threes on 43% shooting. However, they sent Washington to the free-throw line just 19 times, where the Wizards made 14. Orlando also collected 42 defensive rebounds, gave up eight offensive boards, and added nine steals and eight blocks.

Betting Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Los Angeles has an ATS mark of 6-4. Their straight-up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 117 points per game.
• Orlando has played well in their previous three home games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 113 points per game while allowing 108. The team also performed well vs. the spread at 3-0.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Magic have a straight-up record of 3-7 and an ATS mark of 5-5.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Lakers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

Lebron James made his way back on the court on Saturday, but it didn’t help the Lakers, as they were blown out by the Bulls. Still, they are favored by -4.5 vs. an Orlando squad that has some injury issues of its own. I see Lebron and the Lakers bouncing back vs Orlando tonight, and I like them to cover at -4.5.