NBA Picks: Will the Knicks cover the 5.5-point spread vs. the Magic?

Magic vs. Knicks Pick

Will the New York Knicks be able to take care of business at home tonight when they face the Orlando Magic at 7:30PM ET?

According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Knicks are favored at home today, as they are getting odds of -5.5 points against the Magic. The over/under total for the game has been set at 212.5 points. The Magic have won five of their last eight against the Knicks, going 4-3-1 against the spread in those eight games.

Bet on Magic vs. Knicks

The Knicks are coming off a 118-111 win over the Pacers on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. New York is now 15-13 on the season and 17-11 against the spread. They have managed to cover in four of their last six. New York is giving up 108 points per game on defense this year, which ranks near the bottom of the NBA. The offense is putting up 105.3 points per contest. Carmelo Anthony is putting up 22.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game to lead the team while Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Orlando is coming off a 136-130 OT win over Miami on the road on Tuesday night. The Magic have alternated wins and losses over their last six games to go to 13-17 on the year and 12-17-1 against the spread. Orlando hasn’t had much offense, as they average just 98.1 points per game. The defense is allowing 102.8 points per contest. Nikola Vucevic is averaging 12.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game to lead the team while Evan Fournier is putting up 17.7 points and 3.5 assists per contest.

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While the Knicks are a poor defensive team, they still have much more offensive firepower than Orlando. New York is still quite strong at home, as they are 10-4 at the Garden. I would expect another solid performance at home tonight against a struggling offense in Orlando.

 

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: NEW YORK KNICKS -5.5