Magic vs. Bucks Betting Preview: Spread Prediction and Best Bet

Orlando Magic (17-9 SU, 15-11 ATS) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (12-11 SU, 9-13 ATS)

When: Tuesday, December 10th, 7:00 PM (ET)

Where: Fiserv Forum, WI, Milwaukee

TV: TNT

Point Spread: Orl +7.5/Mil -7.5

Total: 213

Money Line: Orlando Magic +245/-300

Notable Injuries

Magic

• Gary Harris (Out) Hamstring
• Jonathan Isaac (Questionable) Hamstring
• Franz Wagner (Out) Oblique
• Paolo Banchero (Out) Oblique

Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Probable) Knee
• Khris Middleton (Probable) Ankle
• MarJon Beauchamp (Probable) Hamstring
• Chris Livingston (Out) Ankle

At 7:00 ET, the 12-11 Milwaukee Bucks (-300) will host the 17-9 Orlando Magic (+245) at Fiserv Forum. This Eastern Conference matchup can be seen on TNT.

The Bucks are currently favored by 7.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 213.

Recent Form

Orlando improved to 17-9 after a 115-110 win over the Suns on Sunday. Playing at home, the Magic covered the -2 point spread, and the game’s total of 225 points went over the 213.5 O/U line.

Orlando fell behind early after a 14-0 Suns run but battled back. The teams were even in the 2nd quarter, and the Magic edged the Suns 27-25 in the 3rd. Orlando’s defense stepped up in the 4th, holding the Suns to 23 points while scoring 31 to close out the game.

The Bucks moved above .500 for the season, improving to 12-11 after a 118-113 win over the Nets on Sunday. Milwaukee was favored by six points heading into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 231 exceeded the over/under line of 215.5 by 15.5 points.

Milwaukee went on a decisive 10-0 run in the 4th quarter, stretching the score from 86-79 to 96-79. The Bucks outscored the Nets 32-27 in the final period to secure the win.

The Historicals

The level of competition has been tight in the five most recent games between Magic and Bucks, with just 2 points per game separating the teams. Orlando has the ATS edge in this span at 3-2. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 222 points per game.

Analysis

Jalen Suggs led the Magic to a win over the Suns, scoring 26 points and hitting four threes at 40% efficiency. Orlando connected on 12 threes, shooting 33.3% from deep while posting an overall field goal percentage of 47.7%.

Goga Bitadze contributed 21 points and 16 rebounds, shooting 53.3% from the field. Suggs was key in the 4th quarter, scoring 14 points, while Bitadze added 10 of his points in the 3rd.

Despite giving up 34 points in the 1st quarter, the Magic tightened up defensively as the game went on, allowing just 23 points in the 4th quarter to help secure the win. Overall, they gave up 110 points on 47% shooting from the field.

Orlando struggled to defend the three, as the Suns hit 13 threes at a 46% clip. The Magic sent Phoenix to the line 22 times, where they made 19 free throws. Defensively, the Magic recorded 11 steals and six blocks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a win over the Nets with 34 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 63.6% from the field. Bobby Portis added 23 points, hitting five threes at 100% efficiency, and Gary Trent Jr. contributed 20 points.

Milwaukee shot 57.4% overall and 48.4% from three, making 15 threes in the game. Giannis scored 15 points in the 3rd quarter, while Portis added 12 in the 4th.

Defensively, the Bucks gave up 113 points to the Nets, who shot 50% from the field. Milwaukee allowed 25 points in the 1st quarter, 27 in the 2nd and 4th, but Brooklyn scored 34 in the 3rd.

The Nets hit 16 threes at a 45% clip. The Bucks sent Brooklyn to the line 16 times, where they made 15 free throws. Milwaukee finished with 28 defensive rebounds, allowing seven offensive boards, while adding six steals and seven blocks.

Betting Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Orlando has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 102 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• Across their last three home contests, Milwaukee has been good against the spread, posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 117 points per game.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Orlando has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 2-8 straight up.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Milwaukee has an ATS mark of 3-6-1 while going 8-2 straight up.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Milwaukee has a big opportunity to pick up a game on the Magic, who they are currently chasing in the Eastern Conference standings. Milwaukee appears to be a threat once again in the East, as they seem to have righted the ship after a terrible start to the season. If the Magic were healthy, this would be an outstanding matchup, as Paolo Banchero plays a similar style as Giannis. But with the Greek Freak playing at an MVP level and the Bucks getting Khris Middleton back in the fold, I see the Bucks winning this one and covering.