Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons – NBA
Tonight at Amway Center, we will see Orlando Magic hosting Detroit Pistons in their first encounter this year.
Orlando Magic are not in the best form at the moment. They are holding a terrible record of 3-7 in the past 10 games and 2-3 in the past 5 games. Looking solely at those numbers, they are slightly improving, but are far from a good form. In the past 5 games, Orlando has lost against Kings (120:115), GSW (112:92) and Charlotte Hornets (102:109). On the positive note, they managed to win over Suns (103:109) and 76ers (112:109)(OT). Looking at their recent match against Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic were really close to winning the match, but lost due to their poor performance in the last quarter. The match started with a 6 point lead for Orlando by the end of 1st quarter (27:21). Orlando even managed to hold on to the lead till the end of 2nd quarter (27:27). 3rd quarter did not offer us any big surprises (28:29), despite the fact, that this was the first quarter Hornets were able to outscore Orlando, even though by only 1 point. At this point, you could imagine that Orlando will be able to hold on to their lead for the last 12 minutes, but you would be wrong. Last quarter was completely in Hornets favour, as they soon closed the gap of 5 points and went on to outscore Orlando Magic by 12 points (20:32), shooting with 55% accuracy whereas holding Magic at 31.8 FG%. The match ended with a final score of (102:109). Orlando Magic should be disappointed by their performance in the last quarter that cost them the match, but tonight they have another chance to make it right. Top scorers of the match: Walker (22pts), Belinelli (20pts) and Ross (19pts).
Detroit Pistons, the visiting team tonight are in a even worse form, compared to their opponents. In the past 5 games, Detroit Pistons won only once, against Phoenix Suns (112:95), whereas they lost to Jazz (83:97), Raptors (75:87), Nets (98:96) and Bulls (117:95). Their record in the past 10 games is better compared to Magic (4-6), but that does not help them if they fail to be consistent with their performances. Looking at the recent match against Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons were not a real threat to their opponents. 1st quarter ended with a 9 point lead for Bulls (32:23), which was reduced to 6 point lead before 2nd half (27:30). At this point, there was a slight chance for Pistons to come back into the match, but those hopes were shattered in 3rd quarter, when Bulls once again dominated and outscored Pistons by 12 points (32:20). With a 18 point lead prior to last 12 minutes, the match was arguably already decided. We could see Pistons trying to catch up, but they failed. In fact Bulls extended their lead once more to 22 points (26:22). The match ended with a huge win for Bulls (117:95). Top scorers of the match: Mirtovic (28pts), Lauvergne (17pts) and Butler (16pts).
Verdict & Prediction
Neither of these two teams are impressing us with their performances, but in my eyes Detroit Pistons are in a worse position. They did not show anything promising in the past few games, whereas I see some potential in Orlando. Magic at least managed to stop 76ers, who were playing decently well at the moment. With that in mind, I see Orlando as a slight favourite tonight.
Prediction: Orlando Magic +2.5 points
Odds: 2.00 Pinnacle
