Game Time: 9:00 PM ET, Saturday, February 12th, 2022 

Venue:  Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Where to Watch:  NBA League Pass

DraftKings:  Spread:  Phoenix -16; O/U 223.5

BetMGM:  Spread:  Phoenix -16.5; O/U 222.5

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Phoenix -16.5; O/U 222.5

WynnBet: Spread:  Phoenix -16; O/U 222

Magic: 13-44, 14th place Eastern Conference

Suns: 45-10, 1st place Western Conference, and the league

An NBA non-conference team between one of the worst teams in the league and absolutely the best team in the league.  The Sportsbooks see you coming… they can hear your desires… This is a classic TRAP GAME!  Yes, the Orlando Magic are awful, designed to be awful, and have a full unit of players wasting away the year on the injury list.  The Orlando Magic have been designed this season as a vehicle to develop 2nd year PG Cole Anthony, rookie SG Jalen Suggs, and rookie SF Franz Wagner.  In combination with those super young players developing the Orlando front office is dreaming of landing that #1 pick in the coming NBA draft.  They don’t want to win… in fact the wins that they have always seem to coincide with a disastrous shooting game from some other team.  You should never put money on a team as bad as the Orlando Magic… until you see the 16 POINT spread.  The Phoenix Suns are the best team in basketball and it may not even be as close as the 3 game lead they have over the Golden State Warriors in the West.  In the Suns last game they faced off against the Milwaukee Bucks, last season’s Champs!  The Bucks have the best player in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo… don’t believe the Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid hype.  If you were picking teams at the YMCA and had to choose between those three guys to be on your squad you would choose Giannis every single time.  The Bucks had also been playing fantastic as of late… rocketing up the Eastern Conference standings.  The first half between the Bucks and Suns was indeed an all out battle for supremacy.  Both teams traded baskets, both teams played tough D, the score went back and forth, the pace changed tempo by the play…. Then the Suns showed the advantage of having the most well rounded team in the league….  In the second half the Bucks were spent and the Suns kept pouring it on.  The Suns ended the game with 7 players in double figures.  JaVae Mcgee thru in 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 STEALS.. The other six players only go up from there!  C Deandre Ayton, SF Mikal Bridges, SG Devin Booker, PG Chris Paul, PF Jae Crowder… a starting five that has no weak spots, a starting five that doesn’t hunt for individual stats., a starting five that plays perfect team basketball… then gets relieved by a strong bench that has bought in.  The Final score in this battle was Suns 131 - Bucks 107 and hides just how competitive the first half was.  The Suns beat the Bucks by 24 points.  

Now the Magic has to play the Suns… the spread is 16… you would think the Suns would win by 40 if not more… but wait.  This is why it is a trap game.  A huge spread remember.  The Suns have absolutely no reason to get up for the Magic, the Suns may even rest some starters, the Suns will feel no joy in battling pipsqueaks like they did in the battle against the Bucks.  The Magic has one advantage in any NBA matchup… that is no one can be convinced to take them seriously.  Teams like the Suns can be coerced into playing streetball with the young clueless players on the Magic.  If the Suns are up by 12 in the 4th quarter… They will simply walk out the clock knowing the Magic aren’t worth the continued effort… especially not with their shooting percentages.

The Orlando Magic have shockingly won 5 of their last 10 games. They are also 5-5 ATS. When they win it is an obvious win ATS… when they lose they lose big.  They lost by 15 points to the Utah Jazz, lost by 33 points to the Boston Celtics, lost by 20 points to the Memphis Grizzlies, lost by 11 points to the Chicago BUlls, lost by 9 points to the Los Angeles Clippers.  Those were all losses ATS… for an average of 17.5 points per loss.  The Sportsbooks are trying to trap your money on the Orlando Magic with a 16-16.5 point spread.  Though every part of the combined stats show that the Suns should win by 20+.  Everything I listed above about why the Suns won’t take the game seriously… It's BS if you have ever seen PG Chris Paul lead a team.  They play hard and they play as a team. Against everybody.

Al McMordie was 4-5 yesterday, so he looks to bounce back on Friday. Big Al cashed in the NBA last night on Phoenix, and is 14-6 his last 20 NBA. Here, pick up Big Al's NBA Winner out of a 100% Perfect, 8-0 ATS angle. Don't miss the 9th STRAIGHT WINNER. Hop on board right now! Get on it! 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 Magic are 13-44 on the season, but 25-32 ATS.  They have logged 29 Overs, 27 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 8-24 in road games.

The Suns are 45-10 on the season, but 31-24 ATS.  They have notched 26 Overs, 28 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are an amazing 23-5 in home games.  

The Magic are 28th in scoring with 103.1, 26th in rebounds with 43.4 per game, and 25th in AST/TO ratio with 1.6.  They are 28th in FG%, 26th in 3PT%, and 10th in FT%. On defense they rank 19th while allowing 111.1 ppg.

The Suns are 4th in scoring with 113.3 ppg, 5th in rebounds with 46.1 per game, 2nd in AST/TO ratio with 2.1.  They are shooting 2nd in FG%, 8th in 3PT%, and 8th in FT%.  They rank 7th on defense while allowing 105.4 ppg.

Our prediction for Saturday, February 12th is…. Suns 133 - Magic 101

This will look like an exhibition game.  The Suns are proud of their winning percentage up and down the roster.  They also play a form of defense that the Magic can only imagine.  If you have a personal rule (I do) of not betting on a favorite with an inflated point spread… simply skip the bet.  The one thing you should never do is find yourself losing $100 because you bet on the Magic THIS SEASON!

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Phoenix is 55 Over and 30 Under in non-conference games the last 3 seasons.

Phoenix is 123-95 ATS in all games over the last 3 seasons.

Phoenix is 45-22 ATS off of back to back covers.

Orlando:  PG RJ Hampton (knee) Out ** PF Mo Wagner (ribs) Out ** PG Markelle Fultz (knee) Out ** PF Jonathan Isaac (knee) Out

Phoenix: SG Landry Shamet (ankle) Out ** SG Dario Saric (knee) Out indefinitely ** PG Cameron Payne (wrist) Out indefinitely ** PF Frank Kaminsky (knee) Out

Magic: SF Franz Wagner, PF Wendell Carter JR, C Mo Bamba, SG Jalen Suggs, PG Cole Anthony

Suns: SF Mikal Bridges, PF Jae Crowder, C Deandre Ayton, SG Devin Booker, PG Chris Paul

Magic

Points: Cole Anthony 17.8

Assists: Cole Anthony 6.1

Rebounds: Wendell Carter Jr 10.1

Steals: Chuma Okeke 1.4

Blocks: Mo Bamba 1.9

Suns

Points: Devin Booker 25.5

Assists: Chris Paul 10.6

Rebounds: Deandre Ayton 10.3

Steals: Chris Paul 1.9

Blocks: JaVale McGee 1.0

Magic: Jamahl Mosley

Suns: Monty Williams