Magic vs. Hornets Recommended Bet & Analysis 2/5/23

Orlando Magic (21-32 SU, 30-22-1 ATS) vs. Charlotte Hornets (15-39 SU, 22-28-4 ATS)
When: Sunday, February 5th, 1:00 PM (ET)
Where: Spectrum Center, NC, Charlotte
TV: BSSE

Point Spread: Orl -1/Cha -1
Total: 234.5
Money Line: Orlando Magic -105/-117

Notable Injuries

Magic

• Mo Bamba (Out) Suspension
• Chuma Okeke (Out) Knee
• Jalen Suggs (Out) Suspension

Hornets

• Kelly Oubre Jr. (Out) Hand
• Cody Martin (Out) Knee

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Orlando is 21-32 overall. When taking to the road, Orlando has a mark of 8-19 and a win percentage of 30%. Currently, the team is 13th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 30-22-1 vs. the spread. When looking at how the team has performed of late straight and vs. the spread, they are 2-3 in their past five games and 3-2 ATS. Over their past ten games, they are 5-5 SU and 7-3 ATS.

After their win against the Timberwolves, Orlando will be looking to continue their momentum. Cole Anthony had a big game, scoring 20 points to help lead the team to victory. As 5-point underdogs on the spread, the Magic were able to come away with an ATS win

Heading into the game, Charlotte is 15-39 overall. When playing at home, Charlotte has a mark of 7-16 and a win percentage of 30%. Currently, the team is 14th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 22-28-4 vs. the spread. The Hornets need a win in today’s matchup vs. Orlando to avoid their 4th straight loss.

In their last game, Charlotte was defeated by Pistons with a score of 118-112. Despite LaMelo Ball scoring 23 points, the team was unable to come out on top. Going into the game, the Hornets were 1-point favorites.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Magic picked up the 113-93 win over the Hornets. Heading into the game, Orlando was the 1.5-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. So far, the two teams have split their season series, with each team at 1-1. Across the last five matchups between the teams, Orlando has gone 3-2 vs. the spread. However, the Hornets actually have a positive scoring margin in these games at +3 points per game. In these contests, they averaged a combined 215 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.

Analysis

Coming into the game, Orlando’s offense is ranked just 27th 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 21st in 3-point shooting percentage at 35.1%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.0 attempts per contest. On defense, the Magic are allowing an average of 112.2 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.

As the Magic prepare for today’s game, Franz Wagner is their leading scorer with an average of 19.6 points per game. This season, Wagner has a field goal percentage of 49.0%. The team’s second-leading scorer is Paolo Banchero, who is averaging 20.3 points per game.

For the season, Charlotte is averaging just 112.0 points per game, which is 25th in the league. This below-average production has come despite being one of the faster-paced teams in the NBA (4th). Charlotte’s 3-point shooting numbers are below the league average, as they have hit just 32.1% of their looks from deep. On average, the team gets up 33.3 3-point shots per game, placing them 15th in the NBA. Defense has been a struggle for Charlotte, as they are currently allowing 114.89 points per game. The team’s 3-point shooting defense has been a problem this year. So far, opposing offenses have hit 36.29% of their looks from the outside.

Terry Rozier is the top scorer for Charlotte, averaging 21.7 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 41.4%. The team’s second-leading scorer is P.J. Washington, with an average of 14.8 points per game.

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Betting Trends

• Magic are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 Sunday games.
• Magic are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games.
• Hornets are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 Sunday games.
• Hornets are 48-19-2 ATS in their last 69 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

I was a firm believer that the Magic would try to tank to get the number one pick. Apparently management is “letting them play” as they’re nowhere near the bottom of the standings. On the flip side, I keep thinking the Hornets are going to rebound and start playing well together and I keep guessing wrong. I’m taking the Magic to win a game that will probably be very stressful throughout and then the Magic pull it out late.