Pelicans vs. Magic: 3 Best Bets
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Both the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans are young teams on the rise who are looking to make deep playoff runs this season and compete for titles over the next several years. Both are led by Duke alums picked first overall, and both play hard-nosed basketball thanks to oversized lineups.
Both squads are fifth in their conference, and both teams have been hot lately, winning eight of their last ten. In what should be a very exciting matchup, the Magic are the slight underdog, although these teams have not met yet this season.
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Both teams are pretty healthy. New Orleans will be without Dyson Daniels, and Matt Ryan is questionable. Orlando seems to have beaten the injury bug and has an empty injury report.
Keep it posted for our three best bets, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.
The Lines
Point spread: Pelicans -3.5 (-110)/Magic +3.5 (-118)
Money line: Pelicans (-152)/Magic (+120)
Over/under: 207.5
Our Picks
Safe pick: Paolo Banchero OVER 20.5 points (-133)
An oversized ball handler, Paolo Banchero has the size to best Herbert Jones and the quickness to beat Zion Williamson, so no matter who the Pelicans put on him, he will be able to get some buckets. Banchero has been consistent all season, and aside from a 13-point dud in the last outing against the Charlotte Hornets, Banchero has hit this line in seven of his last nine games.
Opponent pick: Zion Williamson UNDER 22.5 points (-120)
The NBA does not have an answer for Williamson. He is not a shooter, but he has to be guarded on the perimeter because if he picks up a full head of steam, he can get to the rim with ease. However, Jonathan Isaac is big, strong, and healthy. He's been playing 20 minutes or more a lot recently and is one of the better, more physical rim protectors in the league. In the midrange, Banchero and Franz Wagner will pose a problem for Williamson's scoring.
Parlay pick: Magic to win, Jalen Suggs OVER 9.5 points, OVER 207.5 total points.
Jalen Suggs has passed this line in all of his last five games and is shooting 51.6 percent from three on over six attempts a night. The Magic have home-court advantage, and with a quiet night from Williamson, the Pelicans will need their supporting cast to step up in a big way. As for the over/under, both teams excel on the defensive end but expect each team to play efficient basketball with a lot of smart shots, and each team should hover around 110 points.
