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Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors NBA Preview & Free Pick

NBA Basketball Matchup: Orlando vs Golden State

The news in Orlando hasn’t been very cheerful of late since Dwight Howard wants out of town. It hasn’t seemed to hurt the team’s play, as the Magic have started 6-3.

NBA Basketball Matchup: Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors
10:30 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Magic -3.5
Over/Under: 185

Clearly, Magic fans are hoping Howard will reconsider and stay with the team. On the other side, Marc Jackson is in his first NBA coaching job with the Warriors. Golden State has changed the way they play, and the results haven’t been terribly impressive so far this year. It will obviously take some time, but Jackson is looking for his team to buy into his defensive philosophy.

Dwight Howard continues to put up monstrous numbers. Howard is averaging 18.6 points and 14.6 boards per game so far this year. The man who has surprised just about everyone this year is Ryan Anderson. Anderson is getting major playing time, and he is definitely making the most of it. Anderson is second on the team at 18 points per contest. Hedo Turkoglu is still a play maker for this team. Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson’s scoring averages are down quite a bit this year, but I would expect them to pick it up as the season moves along. Orlando is giving up just 90.3 points per game defensively. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

Golden State is accustomed to playing a fast paced style under Don Nelson and Keith Smart, but Marc Jackson is slowing the team down and focusing on the defensive end. This is a guard oriented team as a whole, but David Lee is a very solid power forward. Lee is averaging a double-double so far this year. Nate Robinson is seeing quite a bit of playing time right now since Stephen Curry is out with an ankle injury. Ekpe Udoh is another guy to keep an eye on as the season moves along. Udoh fits nicely into Jackson’s defensive system, and I suspect he’ll see increased playing time. Monta Ellis is the best offensive threat for the Warriors. The defensive numbers are better than last year, but they have a lot of room for improvement. Opponents are averaging 97.2 points per game against the Warriors.

The Magic are perfectly happy with a defensive-minded game, and I think they’ll cover the number here.

Prediction: Orlando 95 Golden State 89

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By Kyle Hunter

Kyle Hunter sports picks – A degree in finance and a great ability to follow important trends and statistics set him apart from the rest. Totals are Kyle's specialty, so look for a lot of totals picks from NBA, NCAAF, & the NFL. Check out his plays today.