Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers: The stakes are high in Philly
The Philadelphia 76ers are hosting the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center on Friday.
The Magic are having their best season in more than a decade
The Orlando Magic are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-34 record. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 117-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Magic are on top of the league with 24.5 free throw attempts per game and are ranked third in the league allowing 108.5 points per game. Paolo Banchero is the best player on the team averaging 22.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.
The Sixers are targeting a spot in the top 6 in the East
The Philadelphia 76ers are seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 45-35 record. They have won the last six games and are coming off a 120-102 win over the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers make the most free throws per game in the league, 19.5, and are ranked second, committing 12 turnovers per game. Joel Embiid is the OP player on the team, averaging 34.8 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Betting Trends
The Sixers have won 10 of the last 11 home games against the Magic. Philadelphia is 8-0 ATS in their last 8 game overall, 5-0 ATS in the last 5 home games and 6-0 ATS in the last 6 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Magic are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall and 5-1 ATS in the last six games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Sixers had many ups and downs this season, and that mainly depended on whether Joel Embiid played or not. With the reigning MVP in the lineup, the Sixers are one of the best teams in the league, but once he went down with an injury, they started to fall back in the standings. It seems like Embiid has come back just in time to help the team reach the playoffs. They’re seventh in the East with two games left on the schedule, but they’re only one game behind Orlando and Indiana. The Sixers are currently on a six-game winning streak and will continue their run with a win tonight by covering the -6.5-point spread.
