by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Jan 09, 2023
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Where to watch: NBCSCA, BSFL
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Kings -6; Kings -240, Magic +200; O/U 239
FanDuel: Kings -6; Kings -250, Magic +205; O/U 239.5
BetMGM: Kings -6.5; Kings -250, Magic +200; O/U 238.5
Caesars: Kings -6; Kings -250, Magic +205; O/U 238.5
Season record
Magic: 15-25
Kings: 20-18
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Magic - Kings preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Magic: won 115-101 at Warriors
Kings: lost 136-134 vs. Lakers
I bet you didn’t think you’d be talking about the Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings this late into the season. Yes, the halfway mark is late for these two teams, but talk about exciting basketball between two of the premier young teams in the NBA. The two will meet in Sacramento on Monday.
The Kings are making a charge for a playoff spot this year and are in the top six right now after what’s been a tremendous start under coach Mike Brown. Even though they’ve lost three of the last four with losses to Memphis, Atlanta and the Lakers, the Kings are continuing to shock the world here.
Against the spread, it hasn’t been that much of a fun time for Sacramento. They’ve actually failed to cover in seven of the last eight with only one of them resulting in double digits — but that one was a Dec. 23 loss to the Washington Wizards in which the Kings were favored by 7.5.
Coming off a 136-134 loss to the LeBron James-led Lakers on Friday, the Kings got everything and more from their stars. De’Aaron Fox had 34 points and nine assists, while Domantas Sabonis continued his all-star campaign with 25 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out. Those two have become a tremendous pick-and-roll duo that it’s so fun to watch.
Of course, the biggest problem is Sacramento’s depth. They got it this time around with Harrison Barnes getting 18 and Keegan Murray getting 16, but I think the Kings need one more scorer in order to truly realize that potential. But there’s going to be a lot of pesty Sacramento coverages that are going to annoy some teams as the games go by. This will be one of them.
But that shouldn’t shy away from what the Magic have put together. Led by Rookie of the Year frontrunner Paolo Banchero, Orlando has won two of its last three with impressive wins over Oklahoma City and Golden State, the latest coming in San Francisco while getting 6.5. Banchero had 25 points, while Franz Wagner also chipped in with 24 points as well.
Orlando is a young, fun team that might be a year or two away from being a consistent playoff team in the East. They continue to shock some teams, and did so during that six-game winning streak from earlier in the year. They’ve also been reliable against the spread by going 6-4 in the last 10 during a 5-5 run straight up. You’ll gladly take that given the past of the Magic.
Prediction
One thing you can expect is the over. The total has gone over in the Magic’s last five after an ATS win, while the Kings have seen the over eclipse in the last seven against teams with a losing record. Oh, and the over has eclipsed in the last seven meetings. The Kings are also due for a win, and could use one here. Kings 124, Magic 115
Betting trends
Magic is 19-14 ATS as an underdog this season.
Magic is 44-43 ATS as a road underdog the last 3 seasons.
Over is 12-3 when the Magic play non-conference games this season.
Kings are 9-9 ATS as a favorite this season.
Projected starting lineup
Magic:
PG: Markelle Fultz
SG: Franz Wagner
SF: Paolo Banchero
PF: Moritz Wagner
C: Wendell Carter Jr.
Kings:
PG: De’Aaron Fox
SG: Kevin Huerter
SF: Harrison Barnes
PF: Keegan Murray
C: Domantas Sabonis
Injury report
Magic: Bol Bol (health and safety, out), Jonathan Isaac (knee, out)
Kings: None
Statistical leaders
Magic:
Points: Paolo Banchero – 21.4
Rebounds: Wendell Carter Jr. – 8.6
Assists: Markelle Fultz – 5.5
Kings:
Points: De’Aaron Fox – 24.2
Rebounds: Domantas Sabonis – 12.5
Assists: Domantas Sabonis – 6.7
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
