The Houston Rockets (35-13) welcome the Orlando Magic (14-34) to Toyota Center as they look to lengthen their five-game home winning streak. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, and will air on ATTSN Southwest.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 223.5 points with Houston set as a 13-point favorite.
Orlando Magic vs. Houston Rockets Betting Prediction
The last time the Magic played, they were beaten by the Indiana Pacers, 114-112. Indiana’s 8.6 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Orlando, who had a mark of 13.3. The Pacers’ mark was better than their season average of 12.0. Aaron Gordon was Orlando’s high scorer with 22 points on 9-for-20 shooting.
The Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns in their last outing, 113-102. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Houston’s largest advantages. They made 49 trips to the line, while Phoenix went just 26 times. James Harden led Houston in scoring with 27 points on 8-for-21 shooting.
Houston could dominate on the offensive side of the ball as their productive offense goes up against one of the league’s worst defenses. The Rockets rank second in offensive efficiency, while Orlando ranks 27th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Magic rank 23rd in offensive rebounding percentage (20.8 percent), while the Rockets rank first in defensive rebounding percentage (81.5 percent).
Orlando heads into the contest with records of 14-34 straight up (SU) and 20-27-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to place the total high when the Magic are involved, as 56.3 percent of their games have gone under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Houston owns records of 35-13 SU and 23-24-1 ATS. Coinciding with Orlando, Rockets games have a slight tendency to go under the O/U total (52.1 percent).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Gerald Green scored a game-high 27 points in the first matchup, in which the Rockets defeated the Magic 116-98, covering as 7.5-point favorites. He also recorded six rebounds. The game finished with a total of 214 points, which was just 3 points below the projected point total of 217 points. Houston was lights out from beyond the arc (15-34; 44.1 percent). Orlando, on the other hand, did a fantastic job of converting from the free throw line (22-25; 88.0 percent).
Orlando Magic vs. Houston Rockets Free Pick
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Magic, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Orlando is 13-13-1 ATS on the road with 14 unders and 13 overs.
Houston is 10-14-1 ATS at home with 14 overs and 11 unders.
Houston is 16-2 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Orlando is 7-3.
When scoring above 100 points, the Magic are 14-18 and the Rockets are 34-10.
Houston ranks third in rebounds allowed per game (41.1) while Orlando ranks 26th (45.8).
The Magic average 46.9 points in the paint per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Rockets rank 28th in points allowed in the paint per game (47.7).
Houston ranks third in steals per game (9.0) while Orlando ranks 22nd (7.1).
The Rockets rank sixth in second chance points allowed per game (11.4) while the Magic rank 25th (13.4).
Houston ranks sixth in points off turnovers per game (18.0) while Orlando ranks 22nd in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.6).
The Rockets rank first in three pointers attempted per game (43.1) while the Magic rank 13th (29.1).
Orlando averages 12.6 fast break points per game, which ranks 11th in the NBA. Houston ranks 23rd in fast break points allowed per game (12.8).
The Rockets rank 15th in assists allowed per game (22.9) while the Magic rank 27th (24.4).
Orlando averages 4.9 blocks per game, which ranks 11th in the league. Houston ranks 16th in blocks allowed per game (5.0).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Orlando is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Houston is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Magic have outscored opponents by an average of 1.0 point in their last five games. For the season, Orlando has lost by an average of 5.1 points.
During their last five games, the Rockets have scored an average of 109.0 points per game (5.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 102.4 points per game (4.0 below their season average).
