Utah Jazz vs. Orlando Magic Prediction, Preview, and Odds

The Utah Jazz (27-32) will close out their season series with the Orlando Magic (33-26) on Thursday night. The Magic won the first matchup on November 2nd, 115-113, behind a clutch basket from Paolo Banchero in the final seconds. Utah has struggled in February as they are just 3-7 this this month after getting blown out by the Atlanta Hawks. The Jazz were in 10th place in the Western Conference a couple of weeks ago and have now dropped to 11th place. Utah is currently four games behind the Lakers and Warriors for 10th place. The Magic have quietly been rising in the Eastern Conference and they knocked off the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night to move to seventh place in the East. The Magic have a chance to jump the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers with a win over the Jazz. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM EST from the Kia Center.

Jazz get routed on the road

The Jazz fell to the Hawks 124-97 and continued their spiral out of the playoff race. Utah struggled offensively in this game as they shot just 37.2% from the field and 28.9% from three. The Jazz turned the ball over 18 times and did not have the lead in this game for a single second. Collin Sexton led Utah with 22 points on 8-16 shooting from the field. Keyonte Goerge scored 14 points and dished out six assists while Walker Kessler scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench. Lauri Markkanen scored just 11 points in this game on 4-13 shooting from the field.

Utah is scoring 118 PPG this season and they rank fifth in the NBA in free throws made per game and points in the paint per game, seventh in assists per game, and 11th in three-pointers made per game. The big struggle for the Jazz this season has come on the defensive end as they are giving up 120.4 PPG and are allowing opponents to shoot 48.3% from the field and 39.2% from three. The Jazz lead the NBA in total rebounds per game and are sixth in blocks per game. Overall, Utah is 15th in the NBA in offensive rating and 25th in defensive rating.

Magic blow out Eastern Conference opponent at home

Orlando continued their strong defensive play as they took down the Nets 108-81 on Tuesday night. The Magic held the Nets to 39.2% shooting from the field and 25.8% shooting from three. Orlando finished this game with 14 steals and scored 29 points off of 22 Nets turnovers. The Magic shot 52.7% from the field, 36% from three, and led by as many as 33 points in this game. With Paolo Banchero out of the lineup with an illness, everyone stepped up to fill in his offensive production. Franz Wagner led the Magic with 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists while Moritz Wagner scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench. Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony scored 12 points apiece off the bench and Wendell Carter Jr. added 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Magic have played inconsistently on the offensive end this season as they are scoring just 111.5 PPG and rank sixth in the NBA in free throws made per game and ninth in points in the paint per game. Orlando has been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA as they are giving up just 110.8 PPG and rank fourth in the NBA in steals per game and fifth in opponents' field goals and three-pointers made per game. Overall, the Magic are 23rd in the NBA in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating.

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Rating:

The Jazz have played inconsistently on the offensive end this season and they scored just 97 points against the worst-rated defensive team in the NBA on Tuesday night. Utah has struggled on the defensive end as well and they have let opponents score easily from all over the floor. The Magic are still trying to figure out how to be a good offensive team but they have two of the best young scorers in the NBA in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The pair combined to shoot 18-35 from the field for 51 points in the first matchup with the Jazz and they will each have a big game again. Each team held double-digit leads in that first matchup but I expect the Magic to control this game from the tipoff. The Magic have been a top defensive team in the NBA this season and they will be able to shut down a Jazz team that is not playing well on the offensive end. The Magic will force the Jazz into a lot of tough shots and turnovers and will score a lot of points in transition. Banchero and Wagner will torch this Jazz team again and lead the Magic to their second straight win.

Prediction: Orlando Magic -5.5

Full-Game Total Pick

Rating:

Utah will struggle offensively in this game and although they are seventh in the NBA in pace the Magic do not allow teams to score a ton in transition and once their defense is set in the half-court, they are very hard to score on. The Magic have shown flashes of being a good offensive team in the future but they have not played great offensively this season. Orlando also plays at a very slow pace and they rank 26th in the NBA in pace of play. The Magic are last in the NBA in three-pointers made per game and outside of Banchero and Wagner, they have not gotten consistent offense from the other role players. Take the under.

Prediction: Under 219.5

Joshua played Division I basketball for Saint Louis University for three years and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. He is currently a basketball trainer in Maryland and eventually wants to become a coach. Josh has been a huge sports fan since he was kid and has always loved studying analytics and trends. Playing competitive basketball since the age of seven has given me a unique perspective when it comes to betting on sports. He has the ability to analyze the statistics and matchups and see which team or players have the upper hand while highlighting trends that will help you make the best betting decision. We are pleased to have him as a part of our team.