Free NBA Pick: Magic vs. Hawks NBA Odds
Looking for Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks free NBA picks & NBA odds? NBA betting sees the Magic taking on the Hawks on Friday, October 21st, 2022 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all NBA basketball matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily NBA hoops predictions like this Magic-Hawks matchup.
2022 NBA Handicapping
(0-1) Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks (1-0)
Date: Friday, October 21st
Time: 7:30 PM EST
Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
NBA Moneyline Odds: Magic +260 | Hawks -350 (Bet Now!)
NBA Betting Odds: Hawks -8
NBA Betting Total: 222
Atlanta opened its season with a 117-110 win at home over the Houston Rockets, while the Magic opened with a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the road, 113-109.
The Hawks had a strong showing from their starters with four of the five scoring at least 20 points, but the headliner between the two teams belonged to Orlando rookie Paolo Banchero and his historic debut.
Orlando Magic
In the days leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft, most reports had the Magic taking Jabari Smith Jr. out of Auburn. But the night before the draft rumors started to swirl that Banchero would be the pick out of Duke, and that rumor grew stronger and stronger until Adam Silver took the podium and announced the rumor as a reality.
On Wednesday, that reality became even more real with Banchero debuting with 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds, two blocks and collecting five assists along the way.
It was the first time a rookie had recorded at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first game since 2003 when a kid from Akron by the name of LeBron James did just that.
Banking on Banchero to be the next LeBron is silly. But his NBA potential isn’t just apparent, it’s already on display, and you should expect big games from the rookie going forward.
The problem, of course, is that the Magic do not project to be a good team otherwise. As of this writing, Orlando sits at +50000 to win a title—a tie with Indiana, OKC and San Antonio for the second-worst odds ahead of only the Houston Rockets.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta’s odds to win a title sits at +4800. That doesn’t put the Hawks in any elite category, technically slotting them in the league’s bottom half. But it also shows how far ahead they are compared to a team like the Magic.
ESPN’s Matchup Predictor agrees, favoring the Hawks in 84.3 percent of their simulations.
In that outing against Houston, the Hawks were able to get out to a modest but comfortable early lead, and when the Rockets spent their energy in the second half to bring it back, Atlanta was ready with a late boost of its own.
Expect much of the same against Orlando. Even if an early lead feels modest, sustaining it against a team like Orlando goes a long way in having the gas to go pedal down at the finish line.
NBA Betting Trends:
- Magic are 1-5-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
- Under is 32-7 in Magic last 39 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 4-0 in Hawks last 4 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 5-0 in Hawks last 5 games following a straight up win.
Free Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks NBA Prediction:
The Magic will have fun watching Banchero grow this season, especially since he appears be well ahead of the usual rookie growth curve. But this team is also going to sustain a lot of losses. Banchero can be the catalyst to building a winning team and a winning culture, but as NBA-ready as he looks, the Magic have too many holes to fill to expect short-term success.
Atlanta should win this one, and picking them by double-digits wouldn’t be wild at home.
4* Free NBA Betting Pick: ATL -8
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