The Orlando Magic (2-5) visit the Phoenix Suns (1-5) on Thursday night at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, with tipoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Orlando has lost two consecutive games, most recently falling to Washington 103-94 on Monday. Phoenix is on a four-game losing streak and played the second half of a back-to-back after a 132-119 loss to Portland on Wednesday. The Magic have won four of the last five matchups between the teams, and the two split their season series last year with the home team winning each game.
Odds and Betting Trends
Phoenix enters as a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 222.5 points. The money line lists the Suns at -110 and the Magic at -108. Phoenix has failed to cover the spread in all six games this season, while Orlando is 2-5 against the spread. The over has hit in eight of the teams' combined 13 games (8-5), and each of their last three meetings have exceeded 222.5 total points. Phoenix has seen the over hit in each of its last five games, and Orlando's last two road games have also gone over. Dating back to last season, the over has hit in 57% of Orlando's games versus Eastern Conference opponents.
Model Projections
A projection model that simulates each game 10,000 times and has returned nearly $19,000 in profit on top-rated NBA picks since 2018 leans toward the over on the total. The model projects 228 total points, with the over hitting in 55% of simulations. Devin Booker is projected to be the game's leading scorer with 25 points, while Orlando is forecasted to have six players reach double figures compared to four for Phoenix. The model also indicates one side of the spread holds all the value, though the specific side is not disclosed publicly.
