Posted:
#1
Yes, the points are big in this match-up but they are certainly justified. The Magic have a big scheduling edge as well as motivational edges here. Sure the Super Sonics are hungry for their first win of the season but this is a tough spot for them. Sunday night they were batting it out with Detroit in the Pacific Northwest. The Sonics did battle back from a big deficit to make that game competitive but the end result was just another loss...their seventh straight to start the season.
After losing to the Pistons, the Sonics had to fly all the way down to Florida in what is one of the longest road trips of the season for any NBA team. Seattle to Florida is not an easy trip! The Sonics arrived here yesterday and they will face an angry Magic team tonight. Not only is Rashard Lewis, former Sonic, looking forward to this game but the entire Orlando team is fired up about it. That's because the Magic have now lost each of their last two home games. Orlando opened up with a big win in their home opener last month. However, they have since lost each of their last two home games. The Magic are a perfect 4-0 on the road though and they do bring a winning attitude to the floor each night. The same can not be said for a struggling Seattle club.
The Magic were a rock solid 5-1 before their home loss to Phoenix on Saturday. Orlando has now had two days to stew about it and a big win will be on tap tonight as a result. Keep in mind that the Magic have won each of their games by at least 8 points this season. Orlando's average margin of victory has been 11 points this season and as Seattle fades late in this one the Magic will be able to pull away for a solid pointspread victory. Orlando has a road trip on deck so they want to be sure they even up their home record before departing. Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu will prove to be too much for the youth of the Sonics
Seattle comes into this one 0-7 SU and 3-4 ATS. It's interesting to note that all three of their pointspread wins have come at home. They've yet to cover the number on the road this season. This simply isn't a good matchup for the Sonics, as their poor defensive play will once again be exposed by a Magic squad that gets scoring from all over the floor.
The Magic are connecting at nearly 40% from beyond the arc in the early going, and that's not surprising when you look at their starting lineup. With Nelson, Turkoglu, Lewis, and Bogans, they have five starters that are adept from the outside. It certainly doesn't hurt to have Dwight Howard drawing double teams down low either. I just don't see how the Sonics will keep these guys within reach for four quarters. They've had a tendency to come out strong and fade in the second half, and I expect that trend to continue here. It would be a good idea to keep you eye on the score at halftime, and it it's close, the Magic could be a solid second half bet
GL
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