One glimpse at their outright NBA betting odds and it’s easy to see how badly the online sportsbook expects the Orlando Magic to do this 2022-23 season. This is a young team filled with prospects. The Magic could be a surprising team next season. But at the moment, Orlando will challenge the likes of San Antonio and Houston for the worst record in the NBA.
In the meantime, Magic fans can look forward to watching the exploits of rookie Paolo Banchero. The first overall pick reminds many of a young Blake Griffin. Joining him is a slew of other young stars like Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner.
Orlando is expected to win around 26½ games. That is a bit better than the 22 and 21 games they won in the previous two seasons. Still, making the playoffs would be considered a stretch at this point.
Let’s check the latest NBA picks, stats, injury reports and NBA predictions. We’ve plenty of NBA expert picks for you to consider.
Orlando Magic Odds
- To win NBA championship: +100000
- To win Eastern Conference: +50000
- To win Southeast Division: +25000
- To make playoffs: Yes +900/ No -3000
Player to Watch
It’s obvious who the Magic’s main man is: Banchero. The Duke product surprised many when he went first overall. Now with Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren out for the season, the NBA odds favor Banchero to win the Rookie of the Year award. He will follow in the footsteps of a fellow Magic big man who won the award as a top pick: Shaquille O’Neal.
Banchero put up 17.2 points, 7.8 boards, and 3.2 assists in 39 games with Duke last season. He did a little bit of everything – scoring on the inside, shooting the three and getting his teammates involved. Most notably, Banchero has shown the fire and the leadership that screams “NBA star.”
The Magic have lacked that locker room leader for a while now. The door is open for Banchero to take ownership and lead his team.
- Player to Watch: F Paolo Banchero
Breakout Player
The Magic have a slew of players who could show leaps in their performance this season. Wagner, Cole Anthony and Mo Bamba are still growing. But the team could see a new Suggs this season. The fifth overall pick in 2021-22 had a rough rookie campaign as he shot just 36.1 percent from the field and had an offensive rating of 88.
With a season that underwhelming, Suggs can only go up. He suffered a knee injury in the preseason but is expected to be okay. As far as the Magic are concerned, Suggs will be their floor general. All signs point to him having a better season.
Jalen Suggs addresses:
1. His left knee injury
2. The relief that the injury wasn’t more severe pic.twitter.com/hJu3l23TC9— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) October 9, 2022
The arrival of Banchero should unlock Suggs’ talents on offense, and having played one full season under Jamahl Mosley should give Suggs more confidence. This also includes the defensive side where Suggs can brandish his acumen that has led some scouts to compare him to Jason Kidd.
- Breakout Watch: G Jalen Suggs
Magic Outlook
Long story short, the Magic will be a terrible team this season. The likes of Banchero and Suggs will have moments where they look like future NBA stars. But that may be sandwiched by games where they struggle and have horrible stats. Still, Banchero should win the Rookie of the Year award if he stays healthy.
This team is not worth betting online on the outrights market. Don’t tell that to the diehard fan. But to more sensible fans, they can find value on this team on the pregame NBA odds markets: the money line or the point spreads. The Magic will constantly be underdogs.
If the team improves, the Magic can do better than their 33-40-0 record against the spread (ATS). And on some nights, Orlando may even upset a playoff team.
