Magic vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Charlie Grant
It took a few weeks but LeBron James is finally pushing the Los Angeles Lakers up the standings in the Western Conference. LBJ and the Lakers look to extend their win streak to four games when they host the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon at the Staples Center.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Orlando’s four-game ATS winning streak came to an end on Friday night when the Denver Nuggets bested the Eastern Conference club by 25 points. The Magic are still 6-2 against the spread over their last eight games and 10-9 on the campaign.
Orlando’s been held to 91 or fewer points in each of its last two games and the Under is 12-7 in its 19 games this season. The Magic took down Los Angeles just one week ago but that game was in Orlando. The Magic are 3-0 against the number in the last three games against the Purple and Gold.
The result against Orlando is the Lakers’ lone setback over their last eight matchups. Despite the improved play, LA is just 7-10-1 ATS with LeBron James in a Laker uniform. The Under has been the better total play for the Lake Show this season. The Lakers have played Over the total in just seven of their 18 games.
Orlando Magic
It’s another rebuilding year in the Magic Kingdom. Orlando possesses a number of talented front court players, but the cupboard seems pretty bare at point guard. D.J. Augustine handles the majority of minutes at point – which might be a small upgrade over last year’s starter Elfrid Payton.
Veteran big man Nikola Vucevic is having another big year for the Magic. He leads the team in points (19.8) and rebounds (11.1) per game. Even more ridiculous, the 7-footer is hitting better than 40 percent from deep on 2.5 attempts per game.
Los Angeles Lakers
LA is a city that loves its stars and LeBron James is doing his part to indear himself with the local fans. James, who turns 34 at the end of December, is second in the league in scoring at 28.7 points per game and he’s on pace to pass Michael Jordan for NBA career points by January.
James trails only Stephen Curry in PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and he’s making a strong case for earning his fifth regular season MVP award. Heading into Saturday’s slate of games, the Lakers sit in seventh place in the West but they’re just a game back of the Clippers for top spot.
