ORLANDO MAGIC VS. NEW YORK KNICKS – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 15, 2024
Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Monday’s slate features the Orlando Magic (21-18 SU, 25-14 ATS) taking on the New York Knicks (23-18 SU, 22-16-1 ATS).
The Magic are struggling as of late, while the Knicks have flourished with six wins in their last seven outings. Which of these trends will continue in this Eastern Conference matchup?
Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why. 
Tipoff
- When: Friday, January 15, 2024
- Time: 3:00 PM ET
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- TV: MSG and BSFL
Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks Odds (Via DraftKings)
Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends
Can The Short-Handed Magic Snap Their Three-Game Skid Against The Knicks?
Orlando Magic Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 112.5 PPG – 24TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 112.3 points per 100 possessions – 24TH
- Scoring Defense: 111.6 PPG – 8TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 111.4 points per 100 possessions – 2ND
The Orlando Magic enter this matchup with a 3-7 record over their last 10 contests. Not only that, but they are amid a three-game losing streak as well. This includes a 112-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
Paolo Banchero paced Orlando with 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Caleb Houstan contributed 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists. The short-handed Magic were missing several players.
The list includes Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain), Wendell Carter Jr. (right knee tendinitis), Markelle Fultz (left knee injury maintenance), Gary Harris (right calf strain), and Joe Ingles (left ankle injury maintenance).
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley offered this assessment following his team’s third consecutive loss.
“When we had it down to six, there was a turnover here, an offensive rebound there,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said, via CBS Sports. “We talk about not beating ourselves and those were the things that it came down to in those moments. We battled, we fought, but you’ve got to take care of the little things in those situations.”
Orlando’s current skid is the third losing streak of at least three games, dating back to Dec. 15. During that stretch, the Magic are just 5-11 and they have dropped to the eighth spot in the conference playoff race.
With that sentiment in mind, Orlando hopes to get back into the win column against a Knicks team that is playing without its leading scorer — Jalen Brunson.
Can The Knicks Continue Their Success Without Their Leading Scorer In The Lineup?
New York Knicks Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 115.6 PPG – 15TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 118.5 points per 100 possessions – 9TH
- Scoring Defense: 111.6 PPG – 9TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 114.4 points per 100 possessions – 14TH
On the other side of this matchup, the Knicks are in the No. 7 spot in the conference playoff race, and they are 6-4 across their last outings. This includes a 106-94 win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Julius Randles led New York with 24 points while shooting just 9-for-21 from the field. He also tallied 11 rebounds and five assists. Miles McBride, who started in place of Jalen Brunson, scored a career-high 19 points and he handed out five assists.
“I thought the defense picked up in the second half. But our turnovers were problematic. Then we settled down and got better shots,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game.
Now that we have set the table for this matchup, let us closely examine the all-important betting trends for both sides.
The Picks
The Spread
The New York Knicks opened as a consensus seven-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has not moved. Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season.
- The Magic are 1-5 ATS in their last six matchups against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The Knicks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
- New York is 4-1 ATS in its last five January games.
- The Knicks are also 4-1 ATS in their last five Monday games.
Based on the above trends, going with the road team to cover the spread looks like a smart choice.
Prediction: New York Knicks (-7)
Over/Under
- The projected over/under total for this matchup is 221.5 points. Here is why going with the “UNDER” is the smart choice here.
- The total has gone UNDER eight times in the Magic’s last 10 games.
- The UNDER total has cashed in eight times in Orlando’s last 10 road games against New York.
- In the Magic’s last 12 games against Eastern Conference opponents, the UNDER total won nine times.
- The total has gone UNDER six times in the Knicks’ last seven games.
- In New York’s last six games against Orlando, the UNDER total prevailed all six times.
- In the Knicks’ last five home games against the Magic, the UNDER total won four times.
- The UNDER total has won four times in the Knicks’ last five contests against Eastern Conference opponents.
Prediction: UNDER 221.5 points
Prop Bet
The key player to watch in this matchup is Paolo Banchero. He currently has -110 odds of scoring more than 26.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 26.5 points. Let us look to see if his numbers favorably compare with the projected point total for this matchup.
- On the season, Banchero is averaging 22.9 points per outing,
- In 21 road games, he is averaging 24.2 PPG.
- Banchero has played against Eastern Conference teams 25 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 23.0 points per outing.
- In seven January games, Banchero is averaging 28.6 PPG.
- Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 27.6 points per outing, exceeding the projected points total for this matchup six times during that stretch.
Based on his recent body of work, going with the “over” for Banchero is the better choice here.
Prediction: Paolo Banchero OVER 26.5 points
James’s Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks Picks
- The Spread: Knicks (-7
- Over/Under: Under 221.5 points
- Player Prop Bet: Paolo Banchero OVER 26.5 points