The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Orlando Magic on Sunday and need a win to keep pace with the Utah Jazz. Tthe Lakers are a half-game behind the 10th seeded Utah Jazz, and a loss could drop the Lakers to the No. 12 seed if the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, the Magic arequickly heading toward being eliminated from playoff contention. The NBA lines list the Lakers as -6½-point favorites on their home court.
Magic’s Playoff Hopes Dwindling
It is do-or-die time for the No. 13 seeded Magic, who are in danger of becoming the next team in the East to be eliminated from the playoffs. With a .400 winning percentage, the Magic are 4.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the No. 10 seed and running low on time to make a move to the top 10.
Orrlando is not heading in the right direction despite their needs, with a 3-7 record in its previous 10 games. But it’s not all bad NBA news for the Magic, at least regarding the betting market. The Magic enter with the seventh-best record against the spread (ATS) at 38-31-2 with a return on investment of +6.36%. Moreover, the Magic have the 4th best ATS record on the road at 20-14-2 with an ROI of 11.76%.
Lakers Clinging to No. 10 Seed
The Lakers are coming off their second straight loss after falling to a Dallas Mavericks’ buzzer-beater on Friday. LA has lost three of its last four games and is teetering on the edge of playoff contention. Despite their risk of missing the playoffs, the Lakers’ NBA Finals odds of +2000 suggest they are not out of the running yet.
MAXI KLEBER GAME WINNER BUZZER BEATER’LA LAKERS’IN KALBİNİ KIRIYOR 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fpmCGGKdLl
— Clutch Time (@ClutchPage) March 18, 2023
The Lakers have played well in LeBron James’ absence, but it’s becoming clear that they don’t have the depth to turn things around without their star player. Mo Bamba will also miss this game, while Anthony Davis is questionable.
Magic vs Lakers Game Injuries
Magic vs Lakers Head-to-Head
The Lakers are on a five-game winning streak over the Magic and haven’t lost to Orlando since 2020. LA is also 3-0 ATS in their last three games in this matchup as favorites on the NBA betting lines.
Magic vs Lakers Game Information
- Game: Magic (29-42) vs Lakers (34-37)
- Location crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- Day/Time: Sunday, March 19, 9:40 p.m. ET
- Magic vs Lakers Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Magic vs Lakers Betting Lines
Magic vs Lakers Picks & Prediction
I’m a little worried that Davis may not play for the Lakers, but my NBA picks will still fade the Magic on Sunday. Orland is on the second half of a back-to-back and is 3-7 ATS when playing with zero rest. Conversely, the Lakers are 7-3 ATS in their last ten home games.
The Orlando Magic are listed at +200 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Magic, you can win $200. The Los Angeles Lakers are -240, offering a chance to win $42 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Magic a 33.33% chance to win, with the Lakers at 70.59%.
Magic vs Lakers Trends
Magic vs Lakers Edge
Magic vs Lakers Results
Magic vs Lakers Game Summary
Lakers vs Magic Previous Game (Dec. 27, 2022)
The Orlando Magic try to win a third straight game when they host the Los Angeles Lakers for an interconference matchup on Tuesday night. Orlando has won two in a row and eight of its last nine and is tied for third place in the Southeast Division with the Washington Wizards. Los Angeles has dropped four in a row and is in last place in the Pacific Division, trailing the fourth-place Golden State Warriors by 2½ games. These teams seem to be moving in different directions, but to help you decide how to wager on this one, check out our NBA betting preview of the contest.
Lakers vs Magic Game Summary
