The Magic are on a road trip and will play the second of back-to-back games as they visit the Big Easy. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Magic at Pelicans
Spread: Pelicans -7.5 (+100) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over 227 (+106) ; Under 227 (-104)
The Magic are heading to New Orleans for the second of back-to-back matches
The Orlando Magic were on a three-game winning run after surprising victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, but they came back to earth in North Carolina as the Charlotte Hornets defeated them, 120:113. Still, this is a very good start for the team that is predicted to finish among the worst three in the Eastern Conference, so four wins in six matches is surely a great beginning of the campaign for the Magic.
Losing the second quarter by nine points and trailing at half-time by 12 proved to be enough for the magic to fall short at Charlotte, while their shooting from the field (42.3%) decreased comparing it to the previous three games. Orlando recorded even 19 rebounds fewer than the Hornets (40-59) and that played a significant role in the outcome of this tilt, and despite having four steals more than Charlotte, the Magic weren’t unable to make another upset. Jonathon Simmons led the Magic with a career-high 27 points (9-15 FG, 3-4 3PT, and 6-9 FT) along with game-high three steals, while Evan Fournier continued his hot streak with 25 points and five assists. Terrence Ross added 17 points, and five rebounds, and Aaron Gordon displayed an all-around performance after recording 17 points, nine boards, four dishes, two blocks, and two thefts. Nikola Vucevic posted a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, but he had only 35% from the field, thanks to Dwight Howard’s fantastic defense, and it is one of the reasons for a loss. The Montenegrin international will have a tough job against the two monsters Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins on Monday, so I am not sure he’ll be a factor in the offense. That will leave more space for the in-form Fournier and Gordon, who have been sensational recently, averaging 22.2 and 23.7 points per game, respectively. Although Gordon will have to face one of New Orleans’ big guys, he is far more athletic and acrobatic than Vucevic, and I am giving him better chances to cope with them in the paint. Fournier will have a relatively easy matchup against E’Twaun Moore, who is not known as a particularly good defender, so I expect the Frenchman to go 20+ again.
Frank Vogel will be without the point guard Elfrid Payton for the fifth straight match as he’s suffering from a strained hamstring, but he could return against Memphis on Wednesday. In Payton’s absence, D.J. Augustin will start at the PG position, and he must improve after scoreless 23 minutes in Charlotte and 0-of-7 shooting. Adreian Payne is a long-term absentee, while Jonathan Isaac could be back into contention as he’s recovering from illness. The Magic are scoring 117.17 points per contest on average (2nd in the NBA), while they are allowing 109.33 points in return (24th in the NBA). They are the second in the league when it comes to the perimeter shooting (43.45%), and it could be interesting to see them how will perform against another high-flying offense.
Place: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Date/Time: Monday, October 30th, 2017, 8 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSNO, FSF
The Pelicans are searching for the third consecutive victory
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a fine form of three wins in the last four games, but they recorded two victories in a row, and are looking for another one against Orlando on Monday. Following an expected 114-106 W in Sacramento over the Kings, the Pelicans beat the vice-champions Cleveland Cavaliers at home, and a big 123-101 victory proved that New Orleans could be a legit top eight candidate in the Western Conference.
The Pelicans were dominant in the first and last quarters, scoring 35 and 34 points, respectively, and they had fantastic 53.3% from the field, with 41.9% from beyond the arc. Cousins and Davis helped their team to win the rebounding battle (45-37), but was a pleasant surprise is the fact that the Pelicans recorded 33 assists in opposite to the Cavs’ 19. They were trying that extra pass throughout the entire clash, and sometimes, New Orleans looked more like San Antonio than New Orleans. Anthony Davis led all the players with a double-double of 30 points (11-22 FG, 6-6 FT) and 14 rebounds, along with two steals, and game-high three blocks, but DeMarcus Cousins stole the show with his first triple-double of the season with 29 points, 12 boards, and ten assists, adding a game-high three thefts in the process as well. Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 29 points (12-17 FG, 4-6 3PT), and added seven dimes and four rebounds, while E’Twaun Moore matched his career-high 24 points thanks to the excellent shooting from the field (10-13 FG, 4-5 3PT). The rest of the team (seven players) combined for just nine points, but when you have four 20+ players in your starting lineup, nothing else matters. The frontcourt of Davis and Cousins will likely terrorize Orlando’s defense on this one, and I think they will combine for at least 50 points and 25 rebounds, but unless Holiday and Moore repeat minimum 70% of what they displayed against Cleveland, the Pelicans could have troubles to bet the visitors.
Alvin Gentry is still without a pair of centers Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik who are sidelined due to respective injuries, as well as Frank Jackson and Solomon Hill, while the point guard Rajon Rondo (sports hernia) will miss another month. With the lack of healthy players on the roster, the Pelicans acquired veterans Jameer Nelson and Josh Smith to help the team, but after waiving Jordan Crawford, I believe they will keep Nelson for the remainder of the season, even when Rondo returns. The Pelicans are averaging 110.00 points per contest (8th in the NBA), while they are allowing 108.83 (23rd in the NBA). Their three-point shooting is the best in the league when it comes to home court so that we could witness a classic shootout at Smoothie King Center on Monday.
Orlando Magic at New Orleans Pelicans Trends & Prediction
The Orlando Magic are 3-3 against the spread (1-2 away), while they are 4-2 on over/under (2-1 away), so I can conclude that playing Orlando is not the best thing you could do at the moment, as it’s pretty hard to predict how they will perform. The Magic won six out of the last seven H2H matches, but the Pelicans won the most recent one.
The New Orleans Pelicans are 4-2 against the spread (2-0 home), while they are 4-2 on over/under (2-0 home), which suggests that the Pelicans could beat Orlando and go over on this one. However, the Magic played in Charlotte on Sunday, and I am not convinced they will be fresh enough to pose a threat to New Orleans, so I am backing the hosts here.
My Pick: New Orleans -7.5 (+100)
Total: Pass
