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Looking to win big? The Magic and Nuggets face off at 9:00 ET on ALT. The Nuggets are hosting the game at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Nuggets as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 222.5 points.

ORLANDO MAGIC VS DENVER NUGGETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Orlando Magic +10

This game will be played at Ball Arena at 9:00 ET on Friday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE ORLANDO MAGIC:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 109-108 in favor of the Magic.
  • Our projections have Paolo Banchero finishing with Paolo Banchero points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Magic finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.3% and knocking down 8 threes.

Will the Magic Defense Show Up on the Road?

Heading into today's matchup vs. the Nuggets, the Magic are the 10-point underdogs on the road. Before we get started, let's take a look at how the Magic are doing this season. Through 34 games, they are 19-15 and sit 6th in the Eastern Conference.

Orlando is hoping to snap a three-game losing streak today, but they will need to pull off the upset to do so. As the underdog, the Magic have put together an average scoring margin of -2.4 points per game compared to +9.5 as the favorite. This season, they have been the underdog 22 times and have a record of 9-13.

When looking at their road performance, Orlando has gone 7-11 on the road for the season. The Magic's average scoring margin on the road is -4.8 points per game vs. +9.2 at home. Their overall ATS record for the season is 23-11, which includes going 11-7 on the road vs. the spread.

So far, 17 of Orlando's games have finished with more than 222.5 points, and today's average over/under line of their games is 226.5. The Magic have an over/under record of 17-17, but they have put together two straight overs. In their last game, they lost to the Kings by a score of 138-135, but they were able to cover as 5-point underdogs.

In their most recent game, Orlando put up 135 points against the Kings. They shot 48.9% from the field and went 22/27 from the free-throw line. Paolo Banchero is the team's leading scorer, averaging 22.4 PPG. Franz Wagner is also averaging 20.9 PPG.

Although the Magic's defense is 7th in the league defensively this season, over their last three games they have allowed 123.7 points per contest, which is 16th in the NBA. Inside the arc, the Magic defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 54.4% and 36.1% from three-point territory.

Will Denver Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

With an overall record of 25-11, the Nuggets will look to pick up another win at home today as they host the Magic. Denver is coming off a 130-127 win over the Warriors.

When looking at the standings, the Nuggets are 3rd in the Western Conference and 3rd in the Northwest Division. Against other teams in the West, Denver has gone 16-9 compared to 9-2 in non-conference matchups.

Denver has been the favorite in 33 of their 36 games this season and have a scoring margin of +6 as the favorite. Their straight-up record as the favorite is 24-9, but they have failed to cover the spread in each of their last two games as the favorite.

So far, the Nuggets have an average scoring differential of +10.2 PPG at home to go along with a home record of 14-3. Their ATS record at home is currently below .500 at 9-7.

As a team, Denver's over/under record this season is 13-22-1. In their previous games with lower over/under lines than today's line of 222.5, the Nuggets have an OU record of 6-6-1. The average over/under line in their games has been 226.2 points.

In their last game vs. the Warriors, the Nuggets put up 130 points and shot 56.5% from the field. They made 9 three-pointers in the game. When it comes to pace of play, Denver is one of the slower teams in the NBA, averaging 96.5 possessions per game. In terms of three-point shooting, they are 23rd in attempts and 6th in three-point shooting percentage.

On average, the Denver defense is giving up 110.2 points per game (3rd). Right now, they are on a 2 game streak of giving up fewer points than their season average. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Nuggets squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 52.2% inside the arc, and they're also giving up 35.8% from downtown.