Knicks vs Magic Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Banchero Takes Frustrations Out on NYK

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks will travel to Central Florida on Wednesday as they prepare to take on Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic, and we have you covered with our best bet from this matchup utilizing the latest NBA odds.

I'm honestly not sure which team is coming off a more heartbreaking loss: the New York Knicks, who are protesting their game against the Houston Rockets after the officials admitted that the wrong call was made, or the Orlando Magic, who were blown out by the Oklahoma City Thunder on the night they were retiring their first jersey in franchise history.

The loss to the Rockets was a tough pill to swallow for the Knicks, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander telling everyone in Orlando to go home before they even hung Shaquille O'Neal's jersey in the rafters? That's tough.

Find out which bet I'm backing in my free NBA picks for Knicks vs. Magic on Wednesday, February 14th.

Knicks vs Magic odds

Knicks vs Magic predictions

When you initially think about a game between the Magic and Knicks, your mind kind of jumps to a low-scoring, defensive slugfest. I mean, that is the identity of both head coaches, Tom Thibodeau and Jamahl Mosley. 

The thing with sports betting is that every opinion is relative to the betting line, and while the Magic and Knicks aren't going to play a similar style of offensive game that we might see between the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers, I think the total of 214 might be too low, and it's why I'm looking at the Over here with my best bet.

Just look across the oddsboard for Wednesday's games, which has 13 on the schedule; a total of 214 is way down there. Both can be true in sports betting: these teams could have the lowest-scoring game on Wednesday but also go Over their total. It's why we need to look at the 214 and not just judge these teams directly from a basketball perspective.

The reason why I think the 214 is too low for this game is because of the injuries on the Knicks' side. This is a matchup where they will really miss the defense of OG Anunoby, who is the perfect counter to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Not only will the Anunoby injury be magnified against the Magic, but if Isaiah Hartenstein also can't take the floor due to his Achilles injury, this will be another massive loss for the Knicks' defense, specifically against the Magic. The Magic have a ton of size and score a lot of points in the paint; this is a matchup where the Knicks need Hartenstein protecting the rim.

With key injuries on the Knicks' roster, we should see more Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks minutes. This will hurt the Knicks' defense, but they will also bring more shooting to the floor and should help space out the Magic defense and provide Jalen Brunson with more space to operate. 

When the bulk of your shots as an offense are coming from Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Bogdanovic, the Magic defense looks less daunting because you aren't looking to meet them at the rim. With who and how the Knicks will be looking to generate offense on Wednesday, they should be able to get their shots against this Magic defense, which isn't something we can say often when teams play the Magic.

I think this total between the Knicks and Magic should be trading closer to 217, and it's why I'm attacking the Over 214 at FanDuel.

My best bet: Over 214 (-110 at FanDuel)

Knicks vs Magic same-game parlay

Over 214

Paolo Banchero Over 20.5

Orlando Magic -2.5

+410 at FanDuel

I highlighted in my best bet of Over 214 for the game total that this is a matchup where the Knicks will really miss Anunoby and Hartenstein if he is unable to play. These are two players who can help them slow down Banchero, but without them in the lineup, I'm looking at the Over on Banchero's points prop, especially at 20.5.

Banchero has faced the Knicks twice this season, and in the one game he played against them without Anunoby, he scored 29 points. The Knicks can build walls, clog the lane, and attempt to slow Banchero down from scoring at the rim, but that won't stop Banchero from getting his shot off. Banchero has been much better in Year 2 about stopping and hitting the mid-range jumper than forcing his way to the rim.

The Magic had a huge letdown on Tuesday, as they were blown out on national television, an opportunity they never get. The loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday was Banchero's first TNT game of his career. I think the Magic rebound and cover the spread on Wednesday against the Knicks. The Magic are not a good matchup for the Knicks with the injuries they currently have on their roster.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Knicks vs Magic spread and Over/Under analysis

The Magic opened as a 1-point favorite over the Knicks on Wednesday at FanDuel, and this line has continued to steam towards the Magic ever since it opened. The Magic are now trading as a 2.5-point favorite over the Knicks, even with the Magic playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The spread has already moved 1.5 points in favor of the Magic, and it looks like it will continue to steam their way as we are also seeing some Magic -3 in the market.

The total opened at 215 at DraftKings, and we have seen it drop half a point to 214.5. If you're looking for the best price for the Over, which I was, you can find that at FanDuel, which is the only sportsbook offering a 214. The rest of the market is trading this total at 214.5.

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Knicks vs Magic betting trend to know

The New York Knicks have hit the moneyline in 31 of their last 48 games (+11.35 Units / 10% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Magic.

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