Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 19/01/2024, 05:38  by Joseph King | Modified on 19/01/2024 at 11:00 in NBA Prediction

Friday night’s NBA slate kicks off with an Eastern Conference battle as the eighth-place Orlando Magic host the third-placed Philadelphia 76ers. Orlando has dropped down the standings in recent weeks after a tough stretch of form has seen them go 3-7 over their last 10 games. Their 22-19 record has them sitting eighth in the East and they’ve now seen a two game gap open up between themselves and seventh-place Indiana. Orlando’s most recent outing resulted in a 106-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, the team’s fourth loss in the last five games. The Magic will be without second-leading scorer Franz Wagner who is set to miss his eighth straight with an ankle injury. The hosts will be relying on their study defense (ranked third in adjusted defensive rating) as well as their stellar home record (13-5) to grab a win as the underdogs here.

Philadelphia heads down south seeking their fourth straight win in a row. The Sixers capped off a three-game homestand by winning all three, with an excellent 126-121 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Joel Embiid continued to strengthen his case for a second consecutive MVP award with his most recent performance as he put up 41 points on Nikola Jokic and the defending champions. It was the 29-year-olds second straight game hitting the 41 point mark as he leads the league in scoring with an amazing 35.1 points per game. The Sixers are now third in the East with a 26-13 record which has them trailing the Bucks by just one game and the first-place Celtics by five games. Philly is 10-7 on the road so far this season which ranks as the best away record in the Eastern Conference.