NBA Finals rematch: Lakers host Magic tonight
Orlando gets its first chance to exact revenge on the Lakers after last year’s loss in the NBA Championship. Revenge or not, the Magic desperately need a win after falling out of first place in the Southeast Division. Who should NBA betting fans take?
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Team records:
Orlando: 26-14 SU, 19-19-2 ATS
Los Angeles: 31-9 SU, 18-22 ATS
Matchup: Magic vs. Lakers
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Staples Center
Spread: Lakers -6
Over/Under: 200
A win is important for the Lakers (31-9, 18-22 ATS), as they’re about to embark on an eight-game road trip. Los Angeles has won two straight after knocking off the Clippers 126-86 on Friday, but it hasn’t played up to its potential over the past few weeks. The Lakers are just 3-3 in their past six games—with all three losses coming on the road. L.A. is money on NBA odds at home, though, going 22-3 straight up.
The Lakers got some good news this week with the return of Pau Gasol, who had missed six straight games with an injury. Gasol (17.0 PPG, 11.3 RPG) is the team’s second-best player and should help snap the Lakers out of their funk; he dropped 20 points on the Clippers. Kobe Bryant, of course, is the Lakers’ best player. Gasol’s presence clearly had a positive impact on Bryant, as the guard scored 30 points after failing to scoring just 10, 16 and 12 in his last three games.
If a win is important for L.A., it’s crucial for the Magic (26-14, 19-19-2 ATS). Orlando is dropped two straight games while losing six of their past eight. Not only is Orlando losing, its losing badly—the Magic have been crushed in their last two defeats, losing by 18 and 15, respectively. Now the Atlanta Hawks have passed Orlando for the division lead.
Dwight Howard has been very unreliable this month, averaging 14.8 points per game—including six games with 12 points or less and three outings when he scored only single-digits. Leading-scorer Vince Carter also missed three-plus games with a shoulder injury; he returned to action Friday but scored just five points in 21 minutes on 1-7 shooting (and an awful 1-6 effort from behind the arc).
Statistically, Los Angeles and Orlando are very evenly matched. Points allowed are nearly identical, while the Lakers score a few more points in the offense end. They haven’t met since last year’s Finals, when the Lakers cruised to a 4-1 victory (Los Angeles was also 4-1 against the spread).
Trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando’s last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando’s last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando’s last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando’s last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
LA Lakers are 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing Orlando
THE PICK
This game should shake out much like last year’s championship. Most of the important pieces from that series remain in place, and most sports betting fans probably don’t believe Vince Carter is going to be a difference maker, at least not with his shoulder injury still hampering him. Considering how badly the Magic are struggling right now—not to mention the Lakers’ home record—and it’s a no brainer. Bet on the Lakers tonight.
Next up:
Orlando home to Indiana, Wednesday, January 20
LA Lakers at Cleveland, Thursday, January 21
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