The Orlando Magic head to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks. The game starts at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 21 and will air on MSG and FxF.
The Knicks beat the Bulls 107-91 on Saturday. Carmelo Anthony led all scorers on the team with 27 points on 12-for-20 shooting. The Magic, meanwhile, are coming off a bitter 103-100 loss at the hands of the Hawks on Sunday. Evan Fournier recorded 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds.
Over the last five games, Anthony has been playing at a high level for the Knicks. During that stretch, he has averaged 24.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Magic won the first game 100-91. In the loss, Anthony had a double-double with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
The Knicks are a three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 196 points. The Knicks look to improve upon their records of 14-14 Straight Up (SU) and 17-11 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Knicks are an impressive shooting team from the line with a .805 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. Turning to the defensive side, the Knicks have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 6.0 three-pointers made per game.
On the other side, Orlando has a SU record of 15-12 and an ATS record of 19-8. Orlando has done particularly well ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 8-2.
The Magic’s win over New York in their last clash couldn’t give them the edge in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, where the Knicks still lead 6-4 SU. Additionally, with a 6-3-1 record, the Knicks have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – NY, ATS Winner – Orl, O/U – Under
Notes
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York’s last 6 games at home.
New York is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games at home.
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando.
New York is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Orlando.
New York is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando.
New York is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Orlando.
The total has gone OVER in 17 of New York’s last 22 games when playing Orlando.
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando.
On average, Orlando puts up 100.6 points per game (ranked 19th), while New York allows 99.0 points per game (ranked eighth).
Orlando ranks 16th in points per away game with 99.2 points, while New York ranks seventh in points allowed at home with 97.1.
In contests where it has given up fewer than 100 points, New York has a 9-8 record. When Orlando puts up fewer than 100, it is an underachieving 3-6.
New York is 5-6 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Magic have a solid 12-6 record when they hit the century mark.
The Knicks have an offensive rating of 101.5 (ranked 19th). The Magic rank 10th for their defensive rating of 99.9.
New York averages fewer possessions per game than Orlando, with 96.9 compared to 99.2. However, the Knicks score an average of 1.015 points per possession, more than the 1.014 that the Magic score.
New York has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.4%. Orlando is a subpar 5-9 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Orlando Magic make 22.3 assists per game and the New York Knicks make 20.1. Orlando is ranked 10th, while New York is ranked 24th.
The New York Knicks average 5.5 blocks per game for a rank of ninth. The Orlando Magic rank lower (11th), earning 5.4 blocks each game.
New York is ranked 12th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Orlando ranks 11th in defensive rebounds.
The Orlando Magic earn an average of 8.9 steals per game and are ranked seventh. The New York Knicks have a 5-4 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
