Date/Time: 15-01-2020, 22:30 EDT / 03:30 GMT
Spread: Los Angeles Lakers -9.5 Total: +212
The team that holds the best record currently in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers (33-7), who have been red-hot and are looking to extend yet another lengthy winning streak, are hosting one of the teams that sit inside the playoff places of the East, the seventh Orlando Magic (19-21), who have lost only once in their last 4 games.
The Lakers have a 33-7 record (22-17-1 against the spread) and are sitting in the first place of the West. They have nine consecutive wins and in their last game they won at home against the Cavaliers with a 128-99 score, beating the odds. They are led in scoring by Anthony Davis with 27.1 ppg, adding a team-high 9.4 rebounds per game, but he is questionable for tonight. He is followed by LeBron James with 25.5 ppg, 7.8 rebounds and a league-best 10.7 assists per game.
The Magic have a 19-21 record (19-19-2 against the spread) and are sitting on the 7th place of the East. They have won three of their last four matches and in their last game they won on the road against the Kings with a 114-112 score, beating the odds. They are led in scoring by Evan Fournier with 19.2 ppg, adding 3.3 assists per game. He is followed by Nikola Vucevic with 18.8 ppg and a team-best 11.4 rebounds per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season the Lakers won on the road with an 87-96 score. The Lakers are 16-4 at home, while the Magic are 6-13 on the road. The Lakers are better offensively, scoring 113.9 ppg to Magic’s second-worse of 103.8, while the Magic have the best defense in the league, allowing 103.5 ppg to the Lakers’ third-best of 105.1. LA has better percentages both in field goals (48.6% to 43.2%) and in 3-pointers (36.1% to 33.3%). On the other hand, the Magic lead the NBA in fewer turnovers (12.9 to 14.8), while the Lakers are better both in rebounding (45.7 to 45.1) and in assists made (25.9 to 22.5). The Lakers have a -9.5 spread for this game and expect them to beat those odds even without Anthony Davis for an easy home win tonight.
Magic vs Lakers Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers -9.5 (-112)
