The New York Knicks (15-36) will aim to maintain an upward trajectory on Thursday evening when they play host to the Orlando Magic (22-29). New York has won two straight games, while Orlando arrives on a losing skid, dropping six of the last seven decisions and facing the Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back with travel. The Knicks could be without RJ Barrett (ankle), who is listed as questionable, while the Magic project to be without DJ Augustin (knee) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) in this matchup.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. Sportsbooks list the Magic as four-point road favorites, up 1.5 points from the opening line, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 206.5 in the latest Magic vs. Knicks odds. Before making any Knicks vs. Magic picks or NBA predictions, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and last season it returned a whopping $4,280 on its top-rated NBA spread and money line picks. It's already returned over $3,000 in profit on all top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season and entered Week 16 on a blistering 34-18 run on all top-rated NBA spread picks. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Magic vs. Knicks. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Knicks vs. Magic:
- Magic vs. Knicks spread: Magic -4
- Magic vs. Knicks over-under: 206.5 points
- Magic vs. Knicks money line: Magic -170, Knicks +146
- ORL: The Magic are 1-6 against the spread in the last seven games
- NYK: The Knicks are 7-2 against the spread in the last nine games
Why the Magic can cover
The model has considered that Orlando is in a tough spot schedule-wise, but the Magic have a pair of strong players to lean on in this game. Nikola Vucevic has been tremendous for the Magic, averaging 18.6 points and 10.9 rebounds, and his presence will be key. In support, Evan Fournier actually leads Orlando in scoring at 18.7 points per contest, and the Magic will need just enough from their offense to exploit the edge against a shaky New York defense.
On the other end, the Magic are quite good, ranking in the top 10 of the NBA, and the Knicks land in the bottom five of the league in shooting efficiency and free-throw rate. That combination swings in Orlando's favor, even on the road and on short rest.
Why the Knicks can cover
Even so, Orlando isn't a lock to cover the Magic vs. Knicks spread. The model knows that the Knicks do a good job protecting the ball on the offensive end and, coupled with a strong offensive rebounding rate, New York can maximize its possessions against the Magic. Julius Randle is key to New York's offense game plan as well, averaging 18.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on the year.
Defensively, the Knicks could also have an edge in the rebounding battle, ranking in the top half of the league, and New York will need to limit second-chance opportunities. Overall, the Knicks aren't known for their defensive prowess but, against an Orlando team that enters with the NBA's worst shooting efficiency, New York can afford to be aggressive.
How to make Magic vs. Knicks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, with Vucevic and Taj Gibson projected to exceed their scoring averages. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations.
So who wins Magic vs. Knicks and which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Knicks vs. Magic spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
