Thunder vs. Magic: 3 Best Bets
In this story:
The Orlando Magic have won the last two games and are looking to make it three in a row against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Magic is 29-24 and is one spot above the seventh seed, which means Orlando is not in the Play-In Tournament, for now.
The Thunder is coming off a win against the Sacramento Kings but has been showing some weakness lately. Second in the Western Conference, the Thunder has lost four of the last eight games, including an embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
The Magic lost to the Thunder by 12 in the previous matchup, but are looking to cruise into the All-Star break riding a winning streak. Both teams are quite healthy, only recent acquisitions Gordon Hayward and Bismack Biyombo are out for the Thunder. The Magic has a clean injury report.
Keep it posted here for our three best bets, powered by the odds at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Thunder -2.5 (-118)/Magic +2.5 (-110)
Money line: Thunder (-143)/Magic (+115)
Over/under: 223.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Franz Wagner OVER 21.5 points (-125)
Paolo Banchero is an All-Star for the first time this season, but there is a case to be made that Franz Wagner is just as good. He didn't play in the loss to the Thunder earlier in the season but is averaging a cool 21.2 points on the year. He has been unstoppable over his last five games, averaging 28 points on 37.1 percent shooting from three, on increased volume. Those numbers are solid, and there's no reason to think that he's due for a regression.
Opponent pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander OVER 31.5 points (-118)
Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the league's best scorers, averaging 31.5 points this season. He previously posted 37 points on Orlando this season, and his 29-point average over his last five games suggests that an average performance is due, but an average performance for him is All-Star-level play, even against an elite Orlando defense.
Team pick: UNDER 223.5 total points (-118)
The last time these teams faced off, they combined for only 212 points. On top of that, only one of Orlando's last six games has cracked this over, including an overtime win over the Chicago Bulls that didn't. The Thunder run a fast-paced offense, but the defense is solid enough that neither team should explode on offense.
