Raptors vs. Magic Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
The Toronto Raptors continue their four-game road trip on Tuesday by visiting the Orlando Magic in the first of a back-to-back, meaning we are on Kawhi Leonard sit-down watch.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
It’s the first meeting of the season between the Raptors and the Magic, with Toronto returning to the land of Disney on Dec. 28 and Orlando visiting Scotiabank Arena on Feb. 24.
Toronto was 3-0 vs. Orlando last year, and the Raptors have won nine of the past 11 as the road team in the series (one in London in January 2016). DeMar DeRozan played in just one of the three in 2017-18 and had 21 points, Kyle Lowry in all three and averaged 17.7 points and 8.7 assists. Aaron Gordon averaged 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for Orlando and Nikola Vucevic 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Orlando does have one Canadian on the roster in Montreal native Khem Birch, a member of the Canadian National Team. He rarely plays for the Magic, though. In May 2017, the Magic hired then-Raptors general manager Jeff Weltman to be their president of basketball operations. Orlando forward Terrence Ross, a key contributor off the bench, was Toronto’s first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2012 draft. He was part of the Serge Ibaka trade in February 2017.
The Raptors are 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 meetings. The total has gone under the previous four in Orlando.
Toronto Raptors
With Toronto playing in Atlanta on Wednesday, it’s presumed that Leonard will sit out one of the two because he has yet to play a back-to-back this season. The Magic are way better than the Hawks if that plays into Coach Nick Nurse’s decision. Will Lowry play? He left in the third quarter of Saturday’s blowout victory in Chicago with a right ankle injury, although Nurse said it was nothing serious. Not a single Toronto starter played the fourth quarter. Leonard sat that game out as it was the second of a back-to-back. OG Anunoby (sprained right wrist) and C.J. Miles (right adductor strain) sat too. The Raptors are just 6-16 ATS in their past 22 road games.
Orlando Magic
The Magic are much improved this season and have won three straight and five of six. They beat the visiting Knicks 131-117 on Sunday, scoring at least 130 points in back-to-back games for the first time in franchise history. Orlando had 44 first-quarter points, tying a team record; Gordon had 20 of his 31 in the quarter. Vucevic had 28 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Magic shot a season-high 57.1 per cent. Outside of Joel Embiid, Vucevic might be the East’s best centre right now in averaging 20.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. In the past nine games, of which Orlando has won seven, he leads the league in field-goal percentage and assists, is second in 3-point shooting per centage and fifth in scoring. The Magic have covered their past four at home.
