Atlantic Division champion Toronto takes on Southeast Division winner Orlando in Game 1 of their 2019 NBA Playoffs series Saturday. The Raptors (58-24) finished with the second best record in the Eastern Conference, while the Magic (42-20) finished seventh in the East after a red-hot finish which saw them go 11-2 down the stretch. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Raptors won the last regular-season meeting between the teams, 121-109, on April 1, the last time the Magic lost a game. Toronto is a 9.5-point favorite in the latest Raptors vs. Magic odds, while the over-under for points scored is set at 212. You'll want to see the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model before laying any Raptors vs. Magic picks down.
The model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered Week 26 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 292-234 record on all top-rated picks, returning over $4,000 in profit to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread, entering Week 26 on a strong 76-59 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.
Now the model has dialed in on Raptors vs. Magic. We can tell you it's leaning over, and it's also generated a strong against the spread that cashes in over 60 percent of simulations. That one is available exclusively at SportsLine.
The model has taken into account that the Raptors finished the season on a roll, winning two straight and seven of eight. Toronto, which won 32 of 41 home games, has beaten the Magic in 10 of the last 12 at Scotiabank Arena. This is the fourth straight season the Raptors have won 50 or more games and set a team record by averaging 114.4 points per game.
Kawhi Leonard (26.6 ppg), who scored 29 points at Charlotte April 5, has scored 1,500 points in a season for the third time, while power forward Pascal Siakam (16.9 ppg) has been red hot, scoring 28 at Brooklyn April 3 and 23 vs. Miami April 7. Forward-center Serge Ibaka (15 ppg) has scored in double figures in nine straight games and has scored 20-plus points in three of five games.
But just because Toronto is coming in hot doesn't mean it'll cover the Raptors vs. Magic spread in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs 2019 on Saturday.
That's because Orlando has had success against the Raptors this season, splitting the series 2-2, including the two meetings at Toronto. The Magic, who are making their 15th playoff appearance in team history and first since 2012, won the Southeast Division title. Their 42 wins are a 17-game improvement from last season, when the Magic finished 25-57. It's the second-largest win improvement in Orlando history.
Forward-center Nikola Vucevic is averaging 26.3 points over the last three games with four straight double-doubles. Guard-forward Terrence Ross has also been a key contributor for the Magic, averaging 27.25 points over the past four games.
So who wins Magic vs. Raptors? And which side of the spread can you bank on in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Magic vs. Raptors spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up more than $4,000 on its top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
