Rockets vs. Magic Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, March 19

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Houston Rockets-Orlando Magic matchup on Wednesday night.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is an interesting prop target on Wednesday. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets just keep on winning games, as they pulled out an overtime victory against a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers squad on Monday night to earn their seventh straight win.

The Rockets remain in the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the Orlando Magic – the current No. 8 seed in the East.

Orlando has a little bit of a cushion on the No. 8 seed as the Miami Heat have lost eight games in a row, allowing the Chicago Bulls to jump into the No. 9 spot in the standings. Still, Orlando has one of the five worst offenses in the NBA this season, making it hard to trust on a night-to-night basis.

The Rockets and Magic are both in the top five in the NBA in defensive rating this season, so could we see a slugfest in Orlando on Wednesday night?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this interconference clash. 

Rockets vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Rockets -2.5 (-110)
• Magic +2.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Rockets: -135
• Magic: +114

Total

• 209 (Over -110/Under -110)

Rockets vs. Magic How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, March 19
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Kia Center
• How to Watch (TV): Space City Network, FanDuel Sports Network Florida
• Rockets record: 44-25
• Magic record: 32-37

Rockets vs. Magic Injury Reports

Rockets Injury Report

• N’Faly Dante – out
• Jack McVeigh – out
• David Roddy – out
• Amen Thompson – out
• Reed Sheppard – out

Magic Injury Report

• Cole Anthony – questionable
• Jalen Suggs – out
• Ethan Thompson – out
• Moritz Wagner – out

Rockets vs. Magic Best NBA Prop Bets

Note: These prop picks were made before odds were released and are suggestions based off of recent player performance. 

Houston Rockets Best NBA Prop Bet

• Jabari Smith Jr. OVER Rebounds 

Despite seeing his role reduced because of injury and the emergence of Amen Thomposon, former lottery pick Jabari Smith Jr. is still averaging 12.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. 

He’s been even better on the glass as of late, picking up seven or more boards in four of his last five games while averaging 7.0 rebounds per game in March. Against an Orlando team that is one of the worst shooting teams in the league (29th in effective field goal percentage), Smith should have a big game on the glass. 

Orlando Magic Best NBA Prop Bet

• Franz Wagner UNDER 3-Pointers Made

Franz Wagner is in a shooting slump from deep, hitting just 23.3 percent of his attempts from downtown in March. On top of that, he’s only recorded two games since Feb. 12 with multiple made 3-pointers, shooting just 21.4 percent from deep over that 14-game span.

This is a brutal matchup for Wagner, as the Rockets rank No. 2 in the NBA in opponent 3-pointers made per game (just 12.2). 

Rockets vs. Magic Prediction and Pick

While both of these teams are elite on the defensive end, I have to give the Rockets the edge here since they’ve been humming since Fred VanVleet returned to the lineup from his ankle injury.

Houston is not only an elite defense this season, but it ranks ninth in the NBA in offensive rating over its last 10 games. For comparison, the Magic are just 25th in offensive rating over their last 10 contests.

Houston is also the No. 4 team in the NBA against the spread on the road (19-12-1), so it wouldn’t be shocking to see it cover on Wednesday. 

Even though the Magic upset the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, they’ve still lost seven of their last 10. I’m not going to overreact too much to that result in this clash on Wednesday. 

Pick: Rockets -2.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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

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