Orlando Magic vs Portland Trail Blazers 12/20/19 NBA Betting Odds and Preview

The Orlando Magic hit the road and travel to the Moda Center for a Thursday night showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Five Losses in Six Games

The Orlando Magic began the month of December with four consecutive wins. However, Orlando has sputtered to finish the year and they have five losses in their last six games played. In their last game, the Magic dropped a 104-113 contest to the Denver Nuggets after Jamal Murray led a 24-0 run in the third quarter to break the game wide open.

Evan Fournier leads the Magic in scoring at 19.8 points per game. Jonathan Isaac leads the team in rebounding at 7.1 boards per contest while D.J. Augustin is pacing the squad in passing at 4.8 assists per game. Nikola Vucevic is back in action and he is putting up 17.1 points and 11.1 boards per contest.

The Magic rank next to last in scoring at 103.5 points per game. They are 20th in rebounding at 44.3 boards grabbed per contest and are 23rd in passing at 22.8 dimes per outing. Orlando has the 6th best scoring defense in the league at 104.8 points per game allowed.

Three Wins in Four Games

The Portland Trail Blazers have not lived up to expectations after going all the way to the Western Conference finals last season. The Blazers were off to a slow start but the arrival of veteran Carmelo Anthony has given the team a lift in the offense. The Blazers have three wins in their last four games as they are now within four games of the .500 mark.

Damian Lillard leads the Blazers with 25.6 points and 7.6 assists per game. C.J. McCollum is scoring 22.0 points per outing while Carmelo Anthony is contributing 16.8 points per night. Hassan Whiteside is posting a double-double with 15.9 points and 12.9 rebounds per game this season.

The Blazers rank 9th in scoring at 112.6 points per game. However, they also have the 9th worst defense in the NBA at 114.0 points per game allowed. Portland is the 7th best rebounding team in the NBA at 46.5 boards grabbed per contest and they are last in passing at 20.2 assists per game.

Who Wins?

Orlando is 1-5 SU in their last six games played. The Magic are 4-12 SU in their last 16 games played on the road. Portland is 3-1 SU in their last four games played. The Blazers are 5-2 SU in their last seven games played at home. Head to head, Portland is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against Orlando.

The Magic have gotten a boost from the return of Nikola Vucevic but the Magic are coming off back to back losses to Utah and Denver. Although they lost both games, the Magic were competitive and they should be able to give the Blazers a good fight here, especially on the defensive end.

Portland has won three out of four games although two of their wins came against New York and Golden State. Their one-point win over Phoenix showed their mettle. With Lillard and McCollum starting to hit their mark and Carmelo Anthony providing them an additional scoring lift, the Blazers are expected to finish the season strong after a slow start.

The Magic have five out of their last six games played and they have struggled to pick up wins on the road, especially in the West. The Blazers are starting to come together and they have lost just twice in their last seven home games. I like the home team to have a fast start and win a competitive game.

Prediction: Portland Trail Blazers

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Other Bets to Make

The Magic are 14-13-1 ATS in 28 games played this season. Orlando is 7-6-1 ATS in 14 road games played this season and 3-10-2 ATS in their last 15 games against the Northwest Division. The Blazers are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games played. Portland is 5-1 ATS in their last six games against the Southeast Division, and 2-4 ATS in their last six December games.

Portland has outscored Orlando by an average of 6.5 points per game in their last 10 games played. Orlando is next to last in the NBA in scoring and I think that is going to hurt them against a Blazers team that has plenty of good scorers. Four out of Portland’s last five wins have come by double-digit. I don’t think they will blow out Orlando but I have the Blazers winning by five points here because of their prolific three-point shooters.

Prediction: Blazers -3.5

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The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by Orlando. The over is 8-6 in the Magic’s 14 road games played this season and the over is 5-1 in their last six games against the Western Conference. The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Blazers. Portland has seen the total go over in 7 out of their 12 home games played this year. The under is also 4-1 in their last five games played against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the under is 4-5-1 in the last 10 games between the Blazers and Magic.

These teams have combined to score an average of 209.5 points per game in their last 10 meetings. The Magic have been a low-scoring and top defending team this season but they have gone past the 216 total in three out of their last four games played. Portland meanwhile is Top 10 in scoring and the bottom 10 in scoring defense. The Blazers like to play a high-scoring game because they have the firepower to match with any team in the league. Orlando has allowed at least 109 points in each of their last four games. I think the Blazers can score more to help push the total over 216.

Prediction: Over 216.5

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