Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic Preview
Where: Amway Center, Orlando
When: Sunday, January 22, 2017, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Golden State Warriors vs. Orlando Magic – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
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Betting on the Golden State Warriors (37-6)
When the Warriors’ top guns are clicking, they’re pretty much unstoppable. Just go ask the Houston Rockets about that, as they were handed a 125-108 loss by the Warriors Friday to extend the defending Western Conference champs’ win streak to six games.
Up ahead is a showdown with the offensively challenged Orlando team that ranks just 25th in the league in points per game and 24th in field goal percentage. Conversely, the Warriors top the NBA in both categories, scoring 118.0 points per game on an exceptional 50.1 shooting from the field thus far this season.
Golden State has plenty of lethal scorers the Magic are unlikely to match—at least based on looking on paper alone. Kevin Durant, who scored 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting against Houston, is expected to make big dents on Orlando’s middling defense, one that has allowed opponents to average 113.3 PPG on 49.6 FG%.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are constant threats from anywhere on the floor and the space they create on offense because of their range should confuse Orlando further on defense. Curry is putting up 24.6 PPG, while Thompson makes 21.1.
Golden State is 3-0 SU and ATS in its last three games in Orlando.
Betting on the Orlando Magic (18-27)
The Magic appeared to have really missed home, as they followed a 1-5 SU road trip with a 112-96 victory in Amway Center against the Milwaukee Bucks Friday.
Orlando showed brute force inside the paint, where the Magic outscored Milwaukee, 58-25. The Magic can’t play Golden State’s game as they simply don’t have enough offensive weapons to engage Durant and company in a jump-shooting contest, especially if Evan Fournier were to be declared out again. Fournier, Orlando’s leading scorer with 17.0 PPG, has missed the last four games with a foot injury and his status for tonight’s contest remains cloudy. Also out is Jodie Meeks, whose thumb injury will sideline him for at least four weeks.
Those injuries leave the Magic depending heavily on their big men, mainly Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic. Both give Orlando an advantage in terms of frontcourt muscle and the two should be able to make a living against Golden State’s interior defense that allows 44.0 points in the paint per game, 10th most in the league. Ibaka and Vucevic scored 13 points apiece against Milwaukee.
Elfrid Payton, meanwhile, has elevated his play of late, as he’s averaged 20.2 points on an exceptional 52.1 FG% over the last five games. He led the Magic with 20 points in the Bucks contest.
Orlando is 4-2 ATS in its last six games.
Writer’s Prediction
Golden State wins, 112-100.
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