We’re off to LA as the Magic take on the Lakers. This is a collision of two streaking teams. The Lakers are currently on a six-game win streak, while Orlando just had a six-game win streak end to the Clippers last night. Regardless, these are two of the hottest teams in the league facing off tonight, and you won’t want to miss it!
Find the top betting odds across all sportsbooks for the Lakers Vs. Magic here!
What can we say besides, don’t bet against LeBron James and Anthony Davis? Both players have been incredible this year, with AD standing out on both ends of the court. Davis has been a superstar and maybe the best player in the entire league. He’s averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds, nearly 3 assists, and almost 2 blocks a game on insanely high-efficiency shooting. The only other player rivaling AD this year has been the MVP, Nikola Jokic, and that’s saying something.
At the same time, LeBron continues to find a way to impact every aspect of the game. It doesn’t matter that he’ll be 40 in a month; this man is still a triple-double machine! He’s been lights out on the offensive end of the floor, scoring 23 a game with 41% three-point shooting.
Speaking of three-point shooting, we can’t gloss over Dalton Kncecht, the rookie out of Tennessee who has come alive from three. He had 37 points on 8 made threes the other night as the Lakers have found their third scoring option. Knecht and Reaves have balanced out this backcourt, and now the Lakers look like a team that could be a threat in the West again.
In this matchup, they’ll face a challenging mix of size and youth. Even though the Magic are on the second night of a road back-to-back, they’re still dangerous behind Franz Wagner. We like how the Lakers match up with them, but this game will be a watch!
Orlando has been one of the hottest teams in the East. Even without Paolo Banchero, they have rallied behind Franz Wagner's resurgence. He’s taken a leap on offense now, scoring 22 points a game; we’d still like to see that three-point percentage rise, but that might be asking a lot. He’s been a do-it-all player, playing point forward and excelling at running the offense. With Paolo missing, Wagner has taken advantage of the extra room inside to attack the rim with elite efficiency, shooting 47% from the field. He’s truly looking like a special player.
Beyond Wagner, the rest of this team has been incredible on the defensive end. They are only behind OKC in defensive efficiency this year. Jalen Suggs, KCP, and Jonathan Isaac have turned this defense into a nightmare for opponents. This has been the real reason for their success, though. Their offense is nothing special; they’re second to last in pace this year. This team loves to slow the ball down and turn these games into grind-them-out matches. We think this could be a great tool against the Lakers who are in the top half for pace. If the Magic can prevent the score from ballooning up, they’ll be in this game.
Despite their elite play, we're still leaning towards the Lakers taking this game. The way the Lakers have been playing and the matchup of LeBron and AD looming might be too much. Orlando is the better team most nights, especially with Paolo on the floor, but this might be a schedule loss for the Magic.
Austin Reaves Under 16.5 Points: This will be a tough matchup for Reaves. He’ll be playing against Suggs or KCP, who will both be hassling all night. Reaves needs to be dominant from the perimeter to get 17 points in this game. If his three aren't falling, he'll easily be held under 17.
LeBron James Over 16.5 Combine Assists and Rebounds: We think LeBron will focus on being a point forward tonight. With a challenging defensive assignment for the backcourt, we expect LeBron to bring the ball up a ton. That will probably lead him to stay back for boards, too. This feels like a game where LeBron ends with 9 assists and 8 rebounds.
Jalen Suggs 2+ Steals: The Lakers aren’t the loosest team with the ball. They are 4th in the NBA for the fewest turnovers at 13 a game. That doesn’t mean Suggs can’t get this number against a younger backcourt like this. He’s averaging 1.7 steals a game, so two against the Lakers feels solid!