Keagan Smith dives into his pick and prediction for the Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers game on Tuesday’s NBA slate.

The NBA is back in full swing following the pause for All-Star festivities, and tonight we get an excellent matchup between the Lakers and Magic out in Los Angeles. Luka Doncic and LeBron James are both healthy for this one, setting up a duel against Paolo Banchero’s squad in an inter-conference clash.

Here’s a Magic vs. Lakers prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday’s game.

Magic vs. Lakers prediction, preview

Orlando Magic

A 30-26 record doesn’t properly reflect the upside of this Magic roster, at least in the long run. Franz Wagner has spent nearly the entire season sidelined due to injury and has left the team missing one of its key stars. In the meantime, Paolo Banchero has carried the load as well as he can, but sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference is far from the result the front office hoped for when it swung a massive trade for Desmond Bane in the offseason.

Still, the Magic are 15th in NETRTG at +0.5 and are largely holding their own. They’re 16th in pace, far above where they used to be in years past but still just league-average overall. Orlando averages 115.2 PPG, shooting only 46.3% from the field and 34.6% from three. The team posts 25.4 assists per game with a 1.916 AST/TO ratio that falls 11th in the NBA, and they also sit top-10 in both fastbreak points and points in the paint. The Magic’s 43.4 rebounds are 19th overall as well. Defensively, they’re still strong as per the course with 114.7 PPG allowed to opponents, also taking away the three-pointer with the fewest 3PA and second-fewest 3PM given up per game.

Banchero’s 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds are both team-bests, and he provides 5.0 assists as a lead playmaker as well. However, his efficiency metrics remain something of a concern and his scoring mark is 4.4 PPG fewer than last season’s. After him, Desmond Bane is second on the team with 20.1 PPG — despite a slow start to the season, his three-point percentage has increased in each month and is at a scorching 50.9% over nine games in the month of February. Young guard Anthony Black pitches in 15.9 PPG, and Jalen Suggs contributes 13.9 points with a team-high 5.4 assists (but is questionable to play tonight with a back issue). Rounding out the starting five is Wendell Carter Jr. with 11.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are currently fifth place in the Western Conference standings with a 34-22 record, but things are looking up for the moment with all of Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves healthy at the same time. That’s a massive development given how much time each of the trio have missed throughout the campaign at various points, so the hope is that a cleaner bill of health will continue heading into the playoff push and beyond.

Los Angeles sits 17th in NETRTG at -0.4, also falling 20th in pace. The Lakers’ offense averages 115.7 PPG and should see that figure tick up slightly with their stars sharing the floor. One important note is that the team actually paces the league in FG% at 49.8%, though the 3P% of 35.2% remains around the NBA average as they sit on the lower end in terms of volume from distance. The Lakers’ assist number sits at 25.3 per game with a 1.708 AST/TO ratio, 23rd overall. Consistency on the glass is something of an issue with just 40.9 boards per game, third-fewest as well. On defense, they allow 116.1 PPG to opponents, the league’s 18th-ranked mark.

Doncic sits atop both the roster and the NBA as a whole with 32.8 PPG, pacing the league in free-throw attempts as well while bringing in 7.7 rebounds with 8.5 assists. He’s an all-around dominant player and appears much more comfortable in his second season in Los Angeles. Reaves’ leap in season-long numbers is impressive with 25.2 points and 5.7 assists per game, though he’s fallen back into more of a supporting role in recent weeks. James averages 21.7 points and 7.1 assists, defying age as always. Deandre Ayton posts 13.0 points with a team-high 8.4 rebounds, and Rui Hachimura also scores in the double digits with 11.8 PPG.

Magic vs. Lakers pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Lakers as -5.5 home favorites tonight with -205 odds on the Moneyline. The Magic are listed at +170 on the ML with the game total set at 230.5 combined points.

The Lakers are 1-1 since the All-Star break with a three-point win over the Clippers and a 22-point loss to the Celtics; the Magic are 2-1 with a 37-point win over the Kings, a three-point loss to the Suns and a two-point win over the Clippers.

Los Angeles has the greater collection of star power and a better offense, at least in theory. However, its shortcomings on defense are still an issue. Orlando has a more solid collection of role players than its opponent and is much better on the boards, which is what it should take advantage of tonight. As long as the Magic play team ball tonight and Banchero doesn’t get too selfish with his shot attempts, they should be able to keep this game close. The Lakers allow the fourth-highest two-point percentage to opponents and struggle to protect the rim at 21st in opponent points in the paint. Given how Orlando leans on that area and the fast break as well, the Magic ought to cover tonight in a close contest.

Top pick: ORL Magic +5.5 (-112)