Magic vs. Warriors Pick
Will the Golden State Warriors stop their covering struggles tonight when they host the Orlando Magic at 10:30PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Warriors are the clear favorite, as they are getting odds of -14 points against the Magic. The over/under total for the game is listed at 218.5 points. Golden State won the first meeting in Orlando on Jan. 22, 118-98.
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The Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday when it rallied to beat the 76ers, 106-104. Golden State is now 53-14 on the season and leading the West by 1 game. Despite the win, the Warriors have failed to cover in four straight and nine of their last 10 games. They now sit at 28-37-2 against the spread on the season. In their last five games, the Warriors are only averaging 99.6 points while allowing 104.8 on defense. The team is 3-5 since Kevin Durant was injured. Stephen Curry is averaging 25 points and 6.3 assists per game to lead the team while Klay Thompson adds 22 points per game.
The Magic have lost three straight and five of their last six to fall to 24-44 on the season. They are nearly out of the playoff race entirely, sitting nine games out of the eighth spot in the East. They also have failed to cover in their last three and are 28-37-2 against the spread on the season. Orlando averages 99.9 points per game on offense while giving up 106.3 on defense. On the road, the defensive average is 109.8 per game. Evan Fournier is leading the team with 16.9 points per game while Nikola Vucevic is adding 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest.
Certainly Golden State should win, but expecting the Warriors to win by 14 points right now is something I am not comfortable with. They should have lost to the 76ers before rallying late. Will that spark the old Warriors to emerge? Possibly. Golden State can always get scorching hot and put up a big number, but the Warriors haven’t won by at least 14 since Feb. 25. I am taking my chance on the Magic and the points.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: ORLANDO MAGIC +14