NBA Southeast Division Matchup Magic @ Hawks
The Orlando Magic (27-8 SU, 22-12-1 ATS, 15-20 O/U) bounced back nicely from a defeat their last time out to beat the lowly Washington Wizards 89-80 on Tuesday night. The Atlanta Hawks (22-11 SU, 19-14 ATS, 13-18-2 O/U) also recorded a solid victory the last time they took the floor, beating the Houston Rockets 103-100 on Saturday.
Tonight, the top two teams in the Southeast division will square off in the BetUS Sportsbook, looking to extend their winning ways.
Orlando got a team-high 22 points from Hedo Turkoglu to go along with a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds from Dwight Howard, although the Magic failed to cover the spread for BetUS NBA sports betting buffs as a 12.5-point home favorite in the BetUS Sportsbook.
Forward Rashard Lewis wasn’t a happy camper even in victory as the Magic let Washington nearly complete its comeback from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter.
“We got lackadaisical and didn’t play good defense,” said Lewis. “We have to learn to beat teams and put them away if we want to be one of the best teams in the league.”
The Hawks held off a late comeback attempt by the Houston Rockets on Saturday, despite failing to cover the spread as a 4.5-point home favorite. High-flying forward Joe Smith tossed in a game-high 29 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field while shooting guard Joe Johnson had a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds in the win.
The Hawks were lifted to victory when Mike Bibby nailed a tiebreaking 3-pointer with just 1.5 seconds remaining – on Johnson’s 14th and final assist of the night.
“Joe got the ball out, seamed it up right, and Bibby didn’t let us down,” Smith said. “… It’s good to have a guy like that on our team, where he’s made big shots like that in the past, and he’s still making the team a whole lot better just being out there on the offensive end.”
Bibby made 3-of-5 from 3-point range in the game, and is shooting a career-high 44.6 percent this season from beyond the arc this season.
In his last seven games, Bibby has made a mind-numbing 57.1 percent (24-of-42) from downtown while averaging 18.3 points per contest.
Here is a look at the key trends for each team, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Picks.
Orlando is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
Orlando is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Orlando is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando’s last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 5 games
NBA Odds
Orlando Magic +1½ -110
Atlanta Hawks -1½ -110
Over 192½ -110
Under 192½ -110
Analysis: This game is going to be an absolute thriller BetUS NBA sports betting nuts! While the Magic have the league’s best road winning percentage – and are undeniably going to be a tough out come playoff time – I like the Atlanta Hawks to win this contest at home tonight while delivering an emphatic message to the Magic that they will be in a dogfight for the Southeast title for the remainder of the regular season.
Take the Hawks to win and cover in a nail-biter.
