Magic vs. Rockets, 1/8/21 NBA Fantasy News & Betting Predictions

Magic vs. Rockets Friday Prediction

The 6-2 Magic are 5.5-poing road underdogs on Friday night versus the 2-4 Rockets, but is Orlando the best play in this 8:00 p.m. ET matchup? The total for tonight’s game also sits at 227.5 points.

Game Snapshot

553 Orlando Magic (+5.5) at 554 Houston Rockets (-5.5); o/u 227.5

8:00 p.m. ET, Friday, January 8, 2021

Venue: Toyota Center, Houston TX

TV: N/A

Orlando Magic DFS Spin

Evan Fournier (back spasms) is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Rockets. Fournier has been out for a week due to the back spasms, which first became an issue on New Year's Eve. Orlando's backcourt has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks, as Markelle Fultz (knee) is out for the season and Michael Carter-Williams (foot) is also sidelined. If Fournier can't go, Gary Clark stands to get another start with Aaron Gordon shifting to small forward.

Houston Rockets DFS Spin

DeMarcus Cousins pulled down 14 rebounds through 23 minutes as a starter on Wednesday, adding nine points, one assist, one 3-pointer, two steals and four blocks in a loss to the Pacers. It wasn't the most efficient line from Boogie, as he went just 2-of-9 from the field and 4-of-6 from the stripe, but he only committed one turnover while he was out there and the blocks and boards were nice. He hasn't gotten any run alongside Christian Wood (knee) this season, but he showed tonight that he's capable of producing solid stat lines even when given minutes in the lower-20s, so seeing more minutes alongside Wood would really help his outlook. We don't know how long Wood will be out, but Boogie is worth grabbing to see how his minutes hold up upon Wood's eventual return.

Magic vs. Rockets Betting Prediction

The Magic are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games versus the Rockets in Houston and are 4-1 against the number in the last five meetings in this series. They’re also 13-3-1 against the spread in their last 17 road games, are 8-2-1 against the number in their last 11 games as a road underdog and have covered in 20 of their last 26 games versus an opponent with a losing record. The Rockets, meanwhile, are just 2-8 against the spread in their last 10 games overall, are 2-8 against the number in their last 10 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game and are 5-17 ATS in their last 22 games playing on one day of rest.

NBA BETTING PREDICTION: ORLANDO MAGIC +5.5