NBA Betting – Thursday Picks – San Antonio Spurs vs Orlando Magic
Before nba betting fans turn their attention to more sports betting events this weekend, we have the NBA doubleheader on Thursday night. It’s time for our weekly hoops picks for NBA gambling action.
Team records:
San Antonio: 25-3 SU, 16-11-1 ATS
Orlando: 16-12 SU, 8-19-1 ATS
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SPURS vs. MAGIC
Time: Thursday 8 ET
Venue: Amway Arena, Orlando
Spread: Magic -2.5
Over/Under: 197.5
Go Inside This Matchup With Our NBA ATS Stats —>
The Orlando Magic got to the NBA Finals two years ago with a team dependent on outside shooting and the inside defensive presence of Dwight Howard. Two years and two gargantuan trades later, they are a team dependent on outside shooting and the inside defensive presence of Dwight Howard.
Whether the trading away of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter will cure whatever ailed the Magic is anyone’s guess, but in the House of the Mouse they figured they had to do something – anything – to reverse a downward trend. Orlando was on course to win around 52 or 53 games this season before another playoff ouster, and the team was badly in need of a shot of adrenaline.
They got plenty of juice with the arrival of Gilbert Arenas and Jason Richardson, as well as the return of wayward son Hedu Turkoglu.
Now the big question – are the Magic better? Yes. And no. As constituted, Orlando can rain 3s with the best of ‘em. Spread the floor, let Howard go one-on-one every now and then, and kick it out when the doubles come. Standard stuff. But Stan Van Gundy will have his hands full scheming for good defensive teams when the playoff start, the court shrinks and the intensity ramps up.
And when a team such as Boston throws out a group of bigs that includes Shaq, Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, Perkins, Davis and Semi Erden, even Howard could struggle. The Magic have three-plus months to figure things out and maybe get some help for Howard on the front line.
The Spurs are 25-3 and have caught the entire NBA by surprise. Age and the grind of five-month NBA schedule will eventually catch up to the veteran team, but in the meantime they look like No. 1 (or 1A to Boston’s 1).
TNT NBA Gambling Trends:
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
San Antonio is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio’s last 7 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Antonio’s last 11 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando’s last 7 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Orlando’s last 11 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Orlando is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando’s last 9 games
Best bets:
Two things would have to happen here to get the Magic a cover at -2.5. The new Magic players would have to be in sync for 48 minutes against one of the best teams in the NBA. And San Antonio, playing at an incredibly high level, would have to take a step back.
The Spurs, who won 12 games in a row earlier this season, have now won 10 in a row and should make it 11 as Orlando tries to figure things out on the fly in a glorified training camp.
In the second game, Miami starts a 2-game Western swing (Phoenix, then the Lakers on Christmas).
Six is a heavy number, but 209 seems to be reachable so an Over play there makes sense.
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Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel expert from Massachusetts.
