The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Orlando Magic in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the Amway Center. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Thunder-Magic prediction and pick, laid out below.
Oklahoma City has struggled to a 16-21 record, losing three of their last five games. The Thunder now find themselves in 12th place in the Western Conference. Mark Daigneault has not won more than 24 games in his previous two seasons at the helm of Oklahoma City.
Orlando has gone 13-24, including a three-game losing streak. The Magic have endured a nine-game losing streak to end November and begin December. Head coach Jamahl Mosley’s team is currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.
Here are the Thunder-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Magic Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +2 (-110)
Orlando Magic: -2 (-110)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
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Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has broken out in a big way, averaging 30.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, all of which lead the team. Over a full season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring output would set a new career high. However, the rebuilding efforts for Oklahoma City were set back when Chet Holmgren was lost for the season back in August. Josh Giddey, who went sixth overall in 2021, leads the team in rebounding with 8.1 boards per game, providing size in the absence of Holmgren. Giddey also ranks second on the Thunder with 15.3 points per game. Lu Dort is second with 1.1 steals, scoring 14.1 points per game, while also turning the ball over less than twice per game. Orlando has struggled to force turnovers.
While Oklahoma City has put up the third-most shots in the league, they are shooting just 46.3 percent from the field, which ranks 23rd, while opponents have shot 47.3 percent against Orlando. Oklahoma City has averaged 116.1 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The defense has been lacking, as opponents have averaged 116.8 points per game, which is 25th in the league.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
Orlando has dealt with their fair share of injuries in the last month or so, losing three more players for a significant time. First-overall pick Paolo Banchero has been healthy, leading the team with 20.9 points per game, shooting 43.5 percent from the field. Banchero has also pulled in 6.7 rebounds per game, which is third on the team. The team’s leading rebounder, Wendell Carter, Jr., is back after missing time with a foot injury last month. Carter, Jr. has pulled down 8.4 rebounds while putting up 16.0 points per game. Orlando has limited their opponents to 41.9 rebounds per game, which is sixth in the league. Franz Wagner, the team’s second-leading scorer, has averaged 19.9 points per game. An impressive eight Magic players have averaged double-digit points this season. Gary Harris has shot 43.3 percent from behind the arc, while Oklahoma City has limited their opponents to a 36.0 shooting percentage from three-point range.
Orlando has had a rough go on offense, ranking 27th in the league by averaging 109.8 points per game. Defense has been better, ranking 16th by allowing 113.9 points per game. Orlando has been great at limiting rebounds, allowing the sixth-fewest rebounds to their opponents.
Final Thunder-Magic Prediction & Pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be just too much to handle in this one.
Final Thunder-Magic Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma City +2 (-110), over 227.5 (-110)
How To Watch Thunder vs. Magic
TV: Bally Sports Southwest and Bally Sports Florida
Stream: NBA and NBA League Pass
Time: 7:10 PM ET/ 4:10 PM PT
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