Game Time: 6:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 23rd, 2022 

Venue:  Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

DraftKings:  Spread: NL

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread: NL

WynnBet: Spread: NL

The line is not published yet, but will most likely be Bulls -9.5  to  -12.5.  Feel free to bet along with the prediction below.  We will update this space later.

Bulls: 28-16, 2nd place Eastern Conference

Magic 8-39, 15th place (last place) Eastern Conference

This is not a battle or even a skirmish.  It is a “get right” game for the 2nd place Eastern Conference team  The Eastern Conference is bunched up at the top at the moment.  The Brooklyn Nets just took the #1 spot from the Chicago Bulls because of a single Chicago loss… The Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks are close behind in the #3 and #4 spots and can also jump Chicago with a single win… why?  Chicago had two games postponed in December when they were the first NBA team to have a cluster of positive Covid tests.  The result is the Bulls have two less games to compare records against the Nets, Heat, and Bucks… in fact both the Heat and the Bucks have one more win then the Bulls, but the Bulls are above them because of those two missing games in the loss column.  It’s confusing, I know… the result however is the same as any team in any sport… The Bulls must get wins to stay where they are and have a shot of taking the #1 spot back.

The Chicago Bulls have just gotten terrible news.  PG Lonzo Ball is joining the team’s star player SG Zach LaVine on the injured list for 4-6 weeks.  That injury list is getting crowded too… with SG Alex Caruso and SF Derrick Jones Jr already there.  To make matters worse last season’s first round pick SF Patrick Williams has been on the injured list since the start of the season and will miss everything until late April.  Fortunately for the Bulls Caruso’s rehab is to the point where he can be activated to Questionable and the team still has dark horse MVP candidate SF DeMar DeRozan and C Nikola Vucevic who is putting up all-star numbers… They can manage… especially against the Orlando Magic.  The Bulls have won only 4 games in their last ten tries… which is absolutely their worst stretch of the season so far… the need to see the Orlando Magic to simply get right.

The Orlando Magic are a dumpster fire… but a controlled one. It’s like a dumpster fire started by the fire department to train new recruits on how to put out dumpster fires.  That is to say, they are losing on purpose.  They are tanking and loving it!  Nearly the entire roster in Orlando is made up of recent first round lottery picks, lottery picks from a few years ago that didn’t live up to their potential, and a couple guys that Orlando thinks they may be able to trade or develop.  It’s utter chaos.  Also since the braintrust wants losses to bolster the value of their own draft picks.. Guys go on the injury list and everyone takes their sweet time to get back to the floor.  The Orlando Magic have won only 1 of their last ten games…. An accidental win over the Charlotte Hornets.  This team is so bad that they even lost to the Detroit Pistons on January 8th in the only game they were favored all season.  It won’t happen again.  ATS they have gone 4-6 over their last ten games… proving that you can and should win bets by betting on the underdog and pocketing the free points… just not this underdog.

Al McMordie's 122-92 his last 214, and is loading up on a TV GAME in the NBA on tonight. It's backed by a sweet 90-46 ATS angle, so hop on board right now, and watch your $$$$ roll in tonight!!. Go get it! Get Big Al’s picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. NCAAF, NFL, MLB, college football… get positive value from all your bets! Expert picks!  Fun fact… winning a wager is much better than making a wager!

The Bulls are 28-16 on the season, but 26-18 ATS.  They have logged 22 Overs, 21 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 12-10 in road games.

The Magic are 8-39 on the season, but 20-27 ATS.  They have notched 24 Overs and 23 Unders.  They are a dreadful, awful, embarrassing 2-17 in home games.  The Amway Center is not only the worst named stadium in the league… it houses the worst team.

The Bulls are 9th in scoring with 110.7 ppg, 29th in rebounds with 42.6 per game, 8th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  They are shooting the ball fantastically 4th in FG%, 1st in 3PT%, and 3rd in FT%.  On defense they are smack-dab in the middle of the league ranked 15th while allowing 108.5 ppg.

The Magic are dismal across the board.  They rank 28th in scoring with 101.8 ppg, 24th in rebounds with 43.7 per game, and 28th in AST/TO ratio with 1.5.  They are shooting 28th in FG%, 28th in 3PT%, and 11th in FT%.  The defense is below average at 22nd while allowing 110.9 ppg.  That’s right they allow 9 more points than they score per game… that is a recipe for tanking… just add some salt.

 

Our prediction for Sunday, January 23rd is….  Bulls 118 - Magic 100

The Bulls will win and cover.  The Magic have demonstrated not only that they can’t win but also feel no urgency to keep it competitive.  The plan for the Magic is to get to draft day with a high selection and make multiple trades either for more picks or two for one swaps for better players.  Draft day is a long way off.  

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Chicago is 16-5 ATS in Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.

Orlando is 3-15 in home games this season.

Chicago is 11-5 ATS when playing teams with a losing record this season.

Orlando is 7-15 ATS after a loss of ten points or more this season.

Bulls: SG Alex Caruso (wrist) Quest ** PG Zach LaVine (knee) Out ** PG Lonzo Ball (knee) Out ** SF Derrick Jones JR (knee) Out ** 

Magic: SG Terrence Ross Quest ** PG RJ Hampton (knee) Out ** Pg Markelle Fultz (knee) Out ** SG E'twaun Moore (knee) Out ** PF Jonathan Isaac (knee) Out ** PG Michael Carter Williams (ankle) Out

Bulls: SF DeMar DeRozan, PF Tyler Cook, C Nikola Vucevic, SG Coby White, PG Ayo Dosunmu

Magic: SF Gary Harris, PF Franz Wagner, C Mo Bamba, SG Jalen Syggs, PG Cole Anthony

Bulls

Points: DeMar DeRozan 26 ppg

Assists: Lonzo Ball 5.1

Rebounds: Nikola Vucevic 11.1

Steals: Alex Caruso 1.9

Blocks: Nikola Vucevic 1.2

Magic

Points: Cole Anthony 18.2

Assists: Cole Anthony 5.8

Rebounds: Wendell Carter Jr 10.1

Steals: Chuma Okeke 1.4

Blocks: Mo Bamba 2.1

Bulls: Billy Donovan

Magic: Jamahl Mosley