Denver Nuggets vs. Orlando Magic: 3 Best Bets Against Defending Champs
The Orlando Magic hosts the reigning NBA Champions tonight at 7:00 pm. The Denver Nuggets are 10-4, still among the best teams in the league, and Nikola Jokic is looking to win his third MVP Award.
The Magic is amid a four-game win streak, and the Nuggets are 2-3 in their last five games. However, they defeated the Pistons in their last game despite Jokic and head coach Michael Malone being ejected early on.
Paolo Banchero sized up Pascal Siakam.
Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Despite a cold streak, the Nuggets have the second-best odds to win the Finals (+400) and come to Orlando expecting to win. The Magic will be without Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr., while the Nuggets won’t have Jamal Murray and Vlatko Cancar.
The Magic will also be battling fatigue after beating the Toronto Raptors in convincing fashion last night. That being said, the Magic doesn’t have to travel before tipoff tonight.
The Nuggets are only slightly favored without a top-tier point guard alongside Jokic. Let’s look at the three best bets, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Nuggets -3.5 (-118)/Magic +3.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Nuggets (-175)/Magic (+135)
Over/under: 217.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Paolo Banchero OVER 19.5 points (-118)
Paolo Banchero has shrugged off a low start to emerge as the leading scorer in Orlando. On top of that, he has signaled that he is taking over as the leader of the team and that the Magic belongs to him. The Nuggets are not a bad defensive team, but they rest their hat on their offense. Plus, in the last three games, Denver allows the 12th fewest points, hovering around the league average. Over his last three games, Banchero has averaged 20.7 points, and that should just go up tonight.
Opponent pick: Nikola Jokic to record a triple-double (+140)
Jokic has already recorded five triple-doubles on the season and has come within a single rebound or assist on three other occasions. Missing Jamal Murray has not slowed Jokic down at all, and after getting ejected in Monday’s contest, Jokic will be well-rested and ready to reassert himself as the best player in the league. Aside from Monday, when he only played 15 minutes, Jokic has recorded a double-double in every game. All he needs are the assists, the rest is a given.
Team pick: Orlando Magic +3.5 (-105)
Of Orlando’s five losses, two of them have finished within this line. The Nuggets are one of the best teams in the league, but they aren’t blowing teams out. With home-court advantage, the Magic aren’t guaranteed to win, but even if they lose they should keep it close, despite a possibly dominant performance from Jokic. In his last two triple-double outings, the Nuggets lost.
