The Washington Wizards (16-48) and Orlando Magic (36-28) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from the Kia Center in Orlando, Fla. The game will broadcast live on FDSFL.
The Magic are 15-point favorites over the Wizards on the spread (Magic -15), with the over/under set at 232.5 total points. Orlando is a -1100 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Washington is +700 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Wizards vs. Magic predictions and NBA picks for Thursday, March 12.
Wizards vs Magic Prediction, Pick
- Wizards vs Magic pick: Paolo Banchero Over 24.5 Points (-125)
My Magic vs. Wizards best bet is on Paolo Banchero to score over 24.5 points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Wizards vs Magic Odds
| Wizards Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+15 -105 | 232.5 -110o / -110u | +700 |
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-15 -115 | 232.5 -110o / -110u | -1100 |
Wizards vs Magic NBA Preview
The Wizards just gave up 83 points to Bam Adebayo two night ago — and Paolo Banchero has gone over this number in five of his last six games.
Banchero has been a completely different player since the All-Star break.
Over the last 10 games, he’s averaging more than 26 points and nine rebounds.
Anybody that watched Bam's performance against Washington probably now thinks “Oh man, I can do that!"
Banchero should be primed to go off here. Players are just going to start targeting the Wizards.
When are the Wizards on the schedule? That’s the question everyone will be asking.
Players will see if they get hot early, and then the question just becomes, "how many minutes are they going to play?".
If the game goes completely sideways, then maybe he doesn’t play the fourth quarter — but what you saw from Bam a few nights ago isn’t always the norm; players usually get pulled in blowouts.
Wizards vs Magic Predictions, Betting Analysis
Paolo Banchero over 24.5 points is my best bet for this game.
Because the Magic played yesterday, books tend to be slower posting numbers on back-to-backs, but there are several ways you could play this.
If you wanted to take points & rebounds, that’s how I’ve been playing Paolo recently.
But, just looking at what the Wizards allowed Adebayo to do, and the fact that they are similar types of players, I think Banchero is going to go into this game thinking, “how many can I score tonight?” — and if the number is anywhere close to 24.5, I’m hammering it until my index finger falls off.
I do think the matchup will factor into the line here, so grab this one early before it starts to rise. The line should probably be a few points higher for this matchup, especially with Orlando’s injuries.
Banchero is going to get a crazy amount of usage in this spot.
Also, if you wanted to play a plus-money angle, Banchero to score 30+ points might not be a bad way to look at it either.
Pick: Paolo Banchero Over 24.5 Points (-125)
