Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Orlando Magic at Washington Wizards matchup.
Six games of NBA action are taking place across today’s Saturday slate. Tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Orlando Magic will take on the Washington Wizards.
The Magic were active this offseason and crowned one of the winners of the transaction period with their trade for Desmond Bane headlining these efforts. But things have not clicked on the court in the early games and they will enter this game with a 2-4 record. Washington has assembled an intriguing young core, but it is 1-4 to start the season with mild expectations for the year.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Magic enter as 8.5-point favorites and hold -375 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Wizards hold +295 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 233.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Saturday night matchup.
Magic at Wizards preview, prediction
Orlando is looking to capitalize on a wide open Eastern Conference, but it needs to improve its level of play. The Magic’s pair of victories have come against the Heat and Hornets, but they have fallen short to the Hawks, Bulls, Sixers and Pistons already this season. Through the opening six games, they rank 19th in scoring, 23rd in offensive rating and 21st in defensive rating.
Paolo Banchero headlines the production with 22.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, but he has struggled as a shooter at just 43.4% from the field and 21.7% on three-point attempts. Franz Wagner is not far behind with 22.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting an uncharacteristic 44.0% on three-point attempts despite his career 32.4% three-point percentage. Desmond Bane is supposed to solve the Magic’s floor spacing issues, but he has shot just 25.0% from beyond the arc thus far and is averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists. The three-point battle will be a factor in this game. Orlando ranks 29th in three-point attempts and is connecting at the 22nd-best rate while allowing opponents the second-most perimeter shots per game. Wendell Carter Jr., Anthony Black, Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva, Goga Bitadze and Tyus Jones round out most of their depth.
Washington is 1-4 to start the season, but its play has been more encouraging than its record. Its lone victory came over the Mavericks, and it has fallen short to the Bucks, Hornets, Sixers and Thunder. Through its first five games, it ranks 15th in scoring, 26th in offensive rating and 27th in defensive rating.
The Wizards have assembled an intriguing young core that is showing some encouraging signs of growing together. Kyshawn George is the team’s leading scorer with 18.8 points per game along with 8.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Alex Sarr is not far behind with 18.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists while Bilal Coulibaly impressed in his opening game back with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in just 24 minutes of action. Sixth overall pick Tre Johnson has gotten off to a solid start with 13.8 points per game while Bub Carrington and Will Riley add to the young core. Washington has also brought in some veterans to help establish the culture, with CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton headlining this effort.
Magic at Wizards prediction, best bet
The Magic produced a 123-107 victory over the Hornets to snap a four-game losing streak in their previous game. This was their most complete performance of the season and they will need to mirror this effort moving forward.
However, their three-point shooting concerns will be put on display in this matchup. The Magic are allowing the second-most three-point attempts per game while Washington is shooting 39.0% collectively from beyond the three-point arc and attempting the 13th-most threes per game. The Wizards will have an athletic advantage and expect Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly to make their presence felt and make an impact on the rebounding battle.
Orlando’s offense has been too repetitive with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner attacking similar spots on the floor and feeling like they are stepping on each other’s toes for stretches. It was encouraging to see the performance in the previous game, but they have not consistently proven capable of putting teams away yet. The Wizards pushed the Sixers to overtime and cut the lead to eight in the fourth quarter against the Thunder in their two previous games, before the defending champions pulled away.
Count on the Wizards competing at a high level from start to finish and keeping this game close. The 8.5-point spread is too large for my liking and I am backing Washington to hang around. Keep the Wizards in mind as live underdogs and if the three-pointers are falling, the Magic could be in trouble. Expect this to be a battle beyond what the Magic are braced for and for this young Wizards squad to have a chance to steal a high-profile win.
Best bet: Wizards +8.5 (-105)
