The Orlando Magic (15-11) and Denver Nuggets (19-6) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. EST from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game will broadcast live on ALT.
The Nuggets are 7-point favorites on the spread (Nuggets -7), with the over/under set at 237 total points. Denver is a -280 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Orlando is +220 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Magic vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, December 18.
My Magic vs Nuggets Prediction
- Magic vs Nuggets pick: Over 236.5
My Magic vs Nuggets best bet is on the over, with the best price currently available at DraftKings. However, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Magic vs Nuggets Odds
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7 -110 | 237 -110o / -110u | +220 |
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7 -110 | 237 -110o / -110u | -280 |
Magic vs Nuggets NBA Preview
Last Saturday, the Magic fell 132-120 to the eventual NBA Cup-champion Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Jalen Suggs had a big first half and finished with 26 points. However, he also suffered a hip contusion and will be out indefinitely as the team begins a road trip out west.
Orlando will also remain without Franz Wagner, which means Desmond Bane and Paolo Banchero are expected to take on more of the scoring load, as both have scoring lines set at 22.5 points.
Banchero appears to be back to his normal workload as he played 35 against the Knicks. He scored 25 points for his first 20-point game in over a month.
Orlando heads to Denver 10th in offensive rating, but has slipped to 25th over the last five games, which have mostly been without Wagner. It remains a top-notch defense, ranking sixth in defensive rating. However, that will be put to the test by the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic has already led several top-five offenses over the years, but this year's unit may be Denver's best yet.
The Nuggets lead the league with a 124.4 offensive rating despite playing without both Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun for large stretches this season. They will both be out tonight, while Tim Hardaway Jr. and Peyton Watson are questionable.
If they are out as well, you can expect to see a heavy dose of the two-man game between Jokic and Jamal Murray. As a duo, they are averaging 54.7 points and 17.6 assists per game to fuel Denver's offense.
Against the Rockets, Jokic scored 39 points while Murray scored 35 to help secure a victory in an overtime thriller.
The Nuggets have won their last five games and hold the second spot in the Western Conference. However, their win over the Rockets snapped a four-game home losing streak. They will look to push their home winning streak to two tonight.
Magic vs Nuggets Prediction, Betting Analysis
Overs in Nuggets' games have generally been profitable for bettors, as the Nuggets are 17-8 to the over this season and 9-1 over their last 10 games.
The Nuggets are also 8-3 to the over in Denver this season. Their last five home games have all featured at least 250 points.
Meanwhile, the Magic are a more defensive-minded team, but they are 14-12 to the over this season as well. While missing Wagner and Suggs does hurt their offense, they are also two of the Magic's top defenders.
The over is also 6-4 in the last 10 meetings between these teams, and I would not be surprised if this game soared over 240 points tonight.
Without Suggs, I expect a big game from Murray. He is averaging 27.8 points over his last 10 games, scoring 20 points in eight of them.
Jokic has had 25 points in seven of his last 10 games and eight assists in his last nine games. He also has scored 25 points in three of his last four games against the Magic and eight assists in each of the last four meetings.
Coming over from the Western Conference, Bane is very familiar with the Nuggets. He has had at least five rebounds in each of his last three games against them.
He also enters this game with six rebounds in five of his last games. He should be good for at least five tonight to cap this parlay.
Pick: Over 236.5 (-112, DraftKings)
Magic vs Nuggets Parlay Picks
- Nikola Jokic 25+ Points and 8+ Assists
- Jamal Murray 20+ Points
- Desmond Bane 5+ Rebounds
Parlay Odds: +220 via DraftKings
