The Knicks fell to fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They are one loss away from falling into one of the four play-in tournament spots.
Injuries are an issue for the Knicks as they are currently without three frontcourt starters: OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle).
Starter Jalen Brunson also missed the last game with a left knee contusion and will be a game-time decision when they host the Magic on Friday night.
Orlando is the main reason for New York’s drop in the standings, as New York won five straight games to advance to the fourth seed.
During Orlando’s winning streak, three teams were held to fewer than 100 points, and two teams were held to fewer than 90 points.
Considering this total started with 211 points and was bet up to 205.5 points, Orlando has shown an ability to perform well in these low scoring games.
Knicks vs. Magic odds
| spread | total | money line |
|---|---|---|
| Magic -1.5 (-112) | 204 or more (-110) | Magic -122 |
| Knicks +1.5 (-108) | Less than 204 (-110) | Knicks +104 |
magic analysis
Great defense has been a strength for the Magic all season, so it’s no surprise that it played a key role in their recent results. According to NBA.com, Orlando currently ranks fourth in defensive efficiency, allowing 111.2 points per 100 possessions.
If you’re interested, his ERA over the last five games is 100.0.
Orlando is very good at perimeter defense. He ranks sixth in opponent 3-point field goals made (32.7) and fifth in opponent 3-point field goals made (11.6).
The Magic also rank sixth with 5.8 attempts per game, forcing opponents to take suboptimal shots at medium range (15-19 feet).
Forcing opponents to attempt mid-range shots is a common trait among the top teams in the league. There are five teams ahead of Orlando: Bucks, Lakers, Celtics, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.
Four of these five teams are seeded at least third in their respective conferences.
What’s refreshing about this Magic team is that it doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. Orlando knows it doesn’t have the talent to compete with other teams on offense, so the team is putting more emphasis on defense.
Orlando has also been able to control the game better by playing slowly, averaging two fewer possessions this season (101) than last year (103).
Knicks analysis
New York managed to survive for 14-2 months in January. Their remarkable rise began when they acquired Anunoby in a trade on December 30th.
Two days later, the former Raptor made his debut at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 112-106.
After Anunoby injured his elbow, the Knicks won their next three games, but a war of attrition finally caught them up with just four wins in their final 13 games.
Anunoby has an impact on both sides of the court. On offense, moving without the ball gives the Knicks space. He is also an elite defender who can defend all five of his positions on the floor.
To give you an idea of how valuable Anunoby is to the Knicks, New York was giving up 124.4 points per game in December before his arrival. The following month, the Knicks’ opponents averaged just 100 points, the most significant month-to-month improvement in NBA history.
Anunoby is a player who seems to be putting everything together for the Knicks as he makes everyone else’s job easier on the floor.
Given that the Knicks’ offense and defense are effectively inferior without Anunoby on the floor, their ability to overcome further absences in the starting lineup becomes even less likely.
Knicks vs. Magic predictions
New York is trying to play slow to reduce the number of possessions in the game as they battle multiple injuries. This strategy makes plenty of sense, but the problem is that without Anunoby, the Knicks’ defense isn’t good enough to make it work.
Unlike Orlando, they simply don’t generate enough point differentials to increase their chances of winning these games.
The Knicks are not a great shooting team, so they have to rely on their defense. They are 21st in effective field goal percentage (53.6%) and 25th in field goal percentage (46.3% from the field).
So having fewer possessions doesn’t help the cause when you’re already in the bottom third of the league in those field goal categories.
Looking at this matchup and the low totals, you have to think the Magic are a much better fit than the Knicks.According to us Action Lab DatabaseNew York is 0-2 against the spread (ATS) this season, opening the season with fewer than 211 points.
Would you like to bet on the NBA?
This season has seen its fair share of long winning streaks, but the most profitable ones are when a team wins five games in a row. The angle is 25-14 (64.1%) and currently on a 6-0 ATS run.
Orlando is a 1-point favorite on BetParx, so you only need to offer a quick price to your visitors.
