The Washington Wizards visit the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Tuesday night.
Washington is 32-39 SU on the season and they are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference team standings. The Wizards are two games behind the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls for the last play-in tournament spot in the conference. They are just 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played and head to this matchup with back-to-back losses.
Orlando is 29-43 SU this year and they are third from the bottom in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are not yet out of the race but they are a distant 5.5 games off the 10th seed. They are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played. Orlando heads to this game coming off a tough 111-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
This is the third meeting between these two teams this season. Washington won both games and did so by an average winning margin of 19.5 points per game.
Washington is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played. They are scoring 110.7 points per game while also grabbing 42.8 boards grabbed per contest. The Wizards are issuing 25.7 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the floor they are conceding 115.2 points per game this season.
Kristaps Porzingis leads the Wizards with 22.8 points per game while also grabbing 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Corey Kispert is making an average of 2.6 three-pointers per game in the Wizards’ last 10 games played.
Washington is 19-25 SU versus teams from the Eastern Conference. They are also 17-16 SU in 33 games decided by 10 points or more.
Orlando is 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played and they are scoring 117.1 points per game in their last 10 games played. During that span, the Magic are also averaging 43.6 rebounds, 24.7 assists, 8.5 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and allowing their opponent to score 121.3 points per game.
Paolo Banchero is averaging 20 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game to lead the Magic. Franz Wagner is putting up 18.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in his last 10 games played.
Orlando is 15-28 SU against the Eastern Conference. They are 7th in the NBA in points in the paint at 50.2 points per game with Wagner leading the way with 9.5 per game.
The Wizards are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played. Washington is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played in Orlando.
Washington Wizards SU trends:
Orlando Magic SU trends:
Washington tries to get back on track as they head to Orlando. The Wizards’ slim postseason hopes have been dashed as they have lost five out of their last six games. Last Saturday, Washington dropped a 132-118 decision against Sacramento. That loss put them 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the final play-in tournament spot in the East.
Kyle Kuzma had a big game with 33 points after three straight games where he failed to score over 17 points. Kristaps Porzingis who is averaging a career-high 22.8 points per game this season, missed the game with an illness. Porzingis is listed as day-to-day ahead of Tuesday’s game against Orlando.
The Wizards still have 11 games left to try and make the play-in tournament. To do that, they need consistency from their 20+ points scoring trio of Bradley Beal, Porzingis, and Kuzma. Washington has failed to hit its season scoring average in three of the five games they have lost during this stretch, including two where they failed to hit 100 points.
Orlando is coming off a 1-3 road swing to the West and was 2-6 SU overall during an 8-game road trip. In their last game, they held the Los Angeles Lakers to 111 points but they scored only 105 which was the lowest-scoring game of their road trip. The six-point loss marked the 5th time in their last 8 games that the game was decided by single digits.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner each scored 21 points. Banchero is the presumptive Rookie of the Year and is leading the team in scoring 20 points per game. He also ranks 2nd on the team in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game. But he hasn’t gotten plenty of help from an Orlando team that is 29-43 SU on the season.
It’s hard to trust two teams that have struggled all season long. However, when you look at the lesser evil, that’s Washington who still has a mathematical chance of entering the postseason. I think that the Wizards will want this game more than the Magic.
Prediction: Washington Wizards
The Wizards are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games played against the Magic. Washington is also 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games played in Orlando.
Washington Wizards ATS trends:
Orlando Magic ATS trends:
Wizards
+1.5 (-110)
Magic
-1.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 03/21/2023
Both teams have struggled this season and both will likely miss the playoffs and play-in tournament. But while these are two inconsistent teams, the Wizards are the better team than the Magic this season. They have also played better and have beaten the Magic in their previous two head-to-head meetings, doing so by an average winning margin of 19.5 points.
Orlando is also coming off a long road trip and one that included several consecutive games to the West. Coming home means adjusting to the time zone on Tuesday. On the other hand, the Wizards have not played since Saturday and should be well-rested here. I expect the Wizards to give it the extra effort in a bid to stay alive in the race.
Prediction: Washington Wizards
The over is 9-4 in the last 13 games played between these two teams. The total has gone under in four out of their last 5 games played in Orlando.
Washington Wizards over/under trends:
Orlando Magic over/under trends:
Over
226 (-110)
Under
226 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 03/21/2023
Washington plays at a pace of 100.5 which ranks 20th in the league. The Wizards are also just 19th in offensive efficiency. Meanwhile, the Magic are 15th in the NBA in pace at 101.6 and are 26th in offensive efficiency.
However, these two teams have been putting up big numbers against each other, averaging 227.0 points per game in their last 10 games played and 237.33 points per game in their most recent three encounters.
The Magic have conceded at least 114 points six times in their last 8 games played while the Wizards have allowed at least 114 points seven times in their last 8 games played. So although both teams aren’t really good offensive teams, their porous defenses will help them get over the 226-point total.
Prediction: Over 226
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