Senior Writer Vegas Matty previews Orlando Magic (45-26) at New York Knicks (35-35) from a beating the sportsbooks standpoint.
The Orlando Magic (45-26) and the New York Knicks (35-35) have both had to sort through chemistry issues after making blockbuster trades earlier this season, neither of which have worked out as well as they had hoped so far. The Knicks in particular have struggled to a 7-9 record since acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver, and they will try to bounce back from a brutal loss on Wednesday when they host the Magic (-1.5).
To say New York has failed to reach expectations after finally landing Anthony would be a major understatement. The team has dropped six of its last seven games both straight-up and against the spread, slipping into the seventh playoff spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
No game might summarize the struggles of the Knicks better than Monday’s 96-86 home loss to Boston. They led 51-37 at halftime but only scored 35 points in the second half while allowing the Celtics to score the last 10 points of the game.
Anthony finished with 22 points and five rebounds but also needed stitches to repair a laceration near his left eye after Boston’s Rajon Rondo inadvertently struck him with his elbow. He is expected to play against the Magic but has also had a very difficult time closing games lately, scoring a combined 11 points on 2 of 12 shooting in the fourth quarter during the team’s three-game losing streak.
Defense could be the difference again when New York faces an Orlando team that has surrendered an average of just 94.2 points in its last five games. The UNDER has cashed in four of those games for the Magic, who are riding a three-game winning streak but have gone only 1-8 ATS in their last nine games. They are coming off a 97-86 victory at Cleveland on Monday, falling just short of covering the 12-point spread.
Orlando All-Star center Dwight Howard continued his strong play with a game-high 28 points and 18 rebounds against the Cavaliers. Howard has grabbed at least 15 boards in seven straight games since a controversial suspension that led head coach Stan Van Gundy to challenge NBA commissioner David Stern’s authority.
The Magic won the last meeting with the Knicks 116-110 on March 4, as Jameer Nelson scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. Howard also had 30 points and 16 rebounds while Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire each scored 30 to lead New York. Orlando has won the last five meetings between the teams, going 4-1 ATS with the OVER cashing each time.
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