Bryan Armetta shares his preview, prediction and pick for Thursday’s game between the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic.
An East-West clash is on tap this evening in the heart of Florida. The Rockets (36-21, 3rd in West), while flawed, still roster several outstanding talents, headlined by future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Houston comes into Thursday having won five of its last seven games. On the flip side, the Magic (31-26, 7th in East) will need to stack up wins in order to avoid the play-in. That could prove difficult against one of the NBA’s most dangerous squads.
The Rockets are 2.5-point favorites (-115) over the Magic on DraftKings Sportsbook. Houston is favored at -148 on the moneyline. The total for this contest is set at 215.5 points. Here’s my preview, prediction, and pick for Thursday’s Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic matchup.
Rockets vs. Magic prediction, preview
Few groups are more difficult to assess than the Rockets. A third-place ranking in the loaded Western Conference is nothing to sneeze at. In addition, the All-Star duo of Durant and Alperen Sengun stacks up against almost every other contender. Don’t forget about Amen Thompson, a two-way standout that has carried an elite defense. It’s worth noting that the latter is questionable to play this evening with a quad injury.
Unfortunately, injuries have had a negative impact on Houston. During the preseason, guard Fred VanVleet suffered a season-ending ACL tear. In addition, center Steven Adams is done for the year due to ankle surgery. As a result, the team is without its best ball-handler and its top rebounder. The Rockets, for all their strengths, are one of the association’s more top-heavy rosters at the moment.
If there’s one thing head coach Ime Udoka prioritizes, its defense. Houston is holding its opponents to 109.1 points per game, third-fewest in the NBA. Granted, part of that can be attributed to one of the association’s slowest paces on offense. Regardless, the Rockets possess a 105.7 defensive rating over their last five games, fourth-best in basketball during that time. They’ve faced several top-notch offenses in that stretch as well, such as the Knicks and Hornets.
In many ways, the Magic are similarly constructed to their opponents tonight. The difference is that while the Rockets possess two terrific scorers, Orlando currently has one. Franz Wagner (ankle) is sidelined once again, leaving Paolo Banchero without much help on offense. The power forward is undeniably talented, but he hasn’t progressed towards superstar status this season. Through 47 games, he’s averaging 21.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists to go with 45/32/77 shooting splits.
To make matters worse, Orlando could also be without Jalen Suggs (back). Should the point guard sit out tonight, it would leave this group with Banchero, Desmond Bane and several major question marks. Decent, albeit unspectacular, role players such as Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac don’t really move the needle. Granted, Suggs’ potential absence would mean more usage for the ascendant Anthony Black.
Rockets vs. Magic pick, best bet
The Magic have gone 3-4 this season when taking the floor without both Suggs and Wagner. That includes a 117-113 defeat to these Rockets back in November. Still, it’s important to remember that Orlando comes into this one with momentum, going 6-2 over its last eight games. On the flip side, Houston is traveling to Florida on the second leg of a back-to-back. That’s before factoring in a potential rest day for Thompson. At plus money, I’m leaning towards the home team on Thursday.