Orlando Magic Still Favored to Make Playoffs Despite Jalen Suggs' Knee Surgery

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs is out for the season after it was reported on Sunday that he needs arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee.

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee and is out indefinitely, sources tell ESPN. His return will be based on rehab and he is expected to make a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/kVRWUDfDNP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 2, 2025

(1/2) Jalen Suggs has undergone his arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee and will be out for the remainder of the regular season and any postseason games, a team spokesman said. In addition, ...
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) March 4, 2025

This is a massive blow to an Orlando team that is just eighth in the Eastern Conference and coming off of a third-straight loss on Sunday, losing to the Toronto Raptors.

All season long, the Magic have been one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA (28th in offensive rating), but their path to a deep playoff run seems to be even cloudier than before with Suggs done for the remainder of the campaign.

Despite that, oddsmakers are still buying the Magic, who were the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, as a playoff team this season.

Orlando Magic Playoff Odds for 2024-25 Season

Based on the latest odds, the Magic are favored to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season. Orlando will most likely need to go through the play-in tournament, but oddsmakers don't have much confidence in the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, or Brooklyn Nets to dethrone Orlando from the No. 8 spot.

Here's a look at the latest playoff odds for the Magic.

FanDuel Sportsbook: To Make the Playoffs (-280), To Miss the Playoffs (+220)

DraftKings Sportsbook: To Make the Playoffs (-155). to Miss the Playoffs (+125)

For bettors, there is some serious value here. Getting Orlando at -155 to make the playoffs at DraftKings is a very reasonable price given the team's spot in the standings, and there also isn't a bad price (at FanDuel) if you expect the Magic to come up short.

With Suggs out for the year, bettors may want to consider the +220 at FanDuel for Orlando to miss the postseason in the 2024-25 campaign.

This season, the Magic are 20-15 when Suggs plays (a solid record), but they are just 9-18 in the 27 games that he's missed.

The Magic are still one of the 10 best defensive teams in the NBA, but the loss of Suggs has put a lot of pressure on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on offense. Banchero's numbers have suffered as a result, as he's shooting just 41.5 percent from the field in 23 games since returning from an oblique injury.

There's a solid price available no matter which side you want to bet on with Orlando, but given the franchise's struggles without Suggs, the +220 to miss the playoffs is a terrific value at this point in the season.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

Create a new FanDuel Sportsbook account, and you can get $150 in bonus bets if you win your first $5 wager. Download the FanDuel app and deposit a minimum of $5 to claim your new-user bonus today.