Toronto Raptors (32-26) +9/209 at Orlando Magic (38-23), 7 pm Eastern Tuesday, NBA TV
by Zman of Predictem.com
A couple of playoff-bound Eastern Conference teams hook up when the Orlando Magic host the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night on NBA TV.
NBA Sportsbooks list Orlando as nine-point home chalk for Tuesday's game, with a total of 209. The Magic are also posted at around -450 on the moneyline, with Toronto getting +325 as road underdogs.
Orlando has won four of its last five games and six of its last eight after beating New York Saturday 118-92. So heading into this week's play, the Magic sit atop the Southeast Division, eight games clear of the second-place Washington Wizards, and own the three spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Raptors, on the other hand, have lost two straight games, to sub-.500 Charlotte and Indiana, allowing 110 and 122 points in the process. So going into Tuesday's game, Toronto sits in second place in the Atlantic Division, 14 games behind the first-place Boston Celtics, and owns the fifth seed in the East, a game back of the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers and 3 ½ games ahead of sixth-place Washington.
And it looks like the Raptors will be playing their second straight game without forward Chris Bosh (23 points, nine rebounds per game this season), who's struggling with a sore knee. Toronto is 2-4 without Bosh this season. But more importantly to Tuesday's game, over the last five meetings vs. the Magic, he's averaged 34 points per game.
The Raptors swept four games from Orlando last season, and the two teams have split two games so far this season. So over the last six meetings between these two teams, Toronto is 5-1 straight up and against the spread. Also, the o/u is 4-2 in those six games, which have averaged 204 total points.
This season, the Raptors are 31-25 against the spread, 14-14 straight up and 14-13-1 vs. the numbers on the road.
Meanwhile, the Magic are a profitable 37-23 ATS this season, 17-11 SU and 16-11-1 vs. the numbers at home.
Statistically speaking, Toronto ranks 9th in the league in point differential at +4.1 per game, Orlando 10th at +3.9.
The Raptors are shooting 47% from the field as a team this season, a league-leading 41% from 3-point range and 82% from the free-throw line, which ranks 2nd in the league.
At the other end of the court, the Magic are shooting 47% from the floor and 38% from long range, but just 73% from the line.
Orlando is ranked 13th in the league in rebounding at +.9 boards per game, while Toronto ranks just 22nd at -1.5 per game. And both teams are allowing opponents to shoot 45% from the field.
Also on the injury front, Magic guard Jameer Nelson (11 points, six assists per game this season), who missed Saturday's game with a bad hammy, is listed as questionable for Tuesday.
The Sagarin PREDICTOR ratings at USAToday.com ranks Orlando 10th at 94.4, the Raptors 11th at 93.4. Sagarin's current NBA home-court advantage figure is 3.3.
The o/u is 32-25 in Toronto games this season, which are averaging 196 total points, while the totals are 30-29 in Magic games, which are averaging 205 points.
Zman's Pick: Orlando at -9.5.
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