The Brooklyn Nets host the Orlando Magic in an Eastern Conference showdown on Thursday evening. Brooklyn enters on a seven-game winning streak, improving to 21-12 on the season. Orlando sits at just 13-19 overall, though the Magic have won three of their last four games. Kevin Durant (hamstring) is out for Brooklyn, with Jeff Green (shoulder) and Landry Shamet (chest) listed as questionable. Aaron Gordon (ankle) is out for Orlando.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Brooklyn. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Nets as 8.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 227.5 in the latest Magic vs. Nets odds. Before you make any Nets vs. Magic picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model also is up almost $8,700 on top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it enters Week 10 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 85-49 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Magic vs. Nets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Nets vs. Magic:
- Magic vs. Nets spread: Nets -8.5
- Magic vs. Nets over-under: 227.5 points
- Magic vs. Nets money line: Brooklyn -350, Orlando +290
- ORL: The Magic are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games
- BKN: The Nets have covered the spread in seven straight games
Latest Odds:
Brooklyn Nets
-8.5
Why the Magic can cover
Orlando is playing improved basketball in recent days, and Nikola Vucevic is enjoying an All-Star season. The veteran center is averaging 23.9 points and 11.7 rebounds per game and, in addition to his work near the rim, Vucevic is connecting on 39.9 percent of his three-point attempts. Vucevic’s presence will be key against a smaller Brooklyn team that struggles mightily on the defensive end. In fact, the Nets allow more than 1.14 points per possession, a bottom-five mark in the NBA, and Brooklyn is third-worst in turnover creation rate.
Orlando is strongly above-average in ball security, turning the ball over on only 13.4 percent of possessions. Defensively, the Magic will have their hands full with the Nets, but Orlando currently leads the NBA in both defensive rebound rate (76.0 percent) and second-chance points allowed (10.6 per game).
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn is a high-powered offensive team led by multiple superstars, and its offense is essentially impossible to stop. In fact, the Nets lead the NBA in offensive rating, as well as multiple shooting categories, and Brooklyn enters any matchup with the expectation to score at a high level. Against Orlando, the Nets can also take solace in the weaknesses of an opponent. Brooklyn’s defense has been porous this season, though it has improved in recent days.
Beyond that, the Magic are the third-worst team in the NBA in overall offensive efficiency (105.4 points per 100 possessions), and Orlando is dead-last in shooting efficiency. The Magic also struggle in keeping their opponents off the free throw line, and the Nets are one of the top eight teams in the NBA when it comes to free throw creation rate.
How to make Nets vs. Magic picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting both teams combine for 229 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Magic vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.