The New York Knicks have looked impressive in the young season, punishing the Detroit Pistons and nearly defeating Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies in the season opener.
There haven’t been any standouts in particular, with the team really emphasizing sharing the ball and hitting the open man. Orlando —while 0-3 — has battled and looks to have found a future star in Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Tonight’s tilt should see a lot of scoring production from both sides of the floor, with the veteran Knicks ultimately cruising to a victory. The Banchero and Julius Randle matchup will be critical in this one as both will need to play well to give their team a chance to win.
Find out with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Knicks vs. Pistons on Monday, October 24.
Magic vs Knicks best odds
Magic vs Knicks picks and predictions
One of the main storylines for this Knicks squad will be whether Julius Randle can revert back to his All-NBA season production from two seasons ago. To start the season, he’s been very impressive in a number of ways. He’s taking smarter shots, working more without the ball in his hands, and finding open teammates.
Randle is averaging 19.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists on 50% shooting to start the season. Tonight, against the 0-3 Orlando Magic, we expect Randle to have his best performance of the early season.
Rookie sensation Paolo Banchero will have a tough task of slowing the always-aggressive Randle from getting to his spots. In three games last season against the Magic, Randle played well, including a dominant 30 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists performance.
Randle has always been a player who feasts on inferior competition, and tonight should be no different. The Magic rank 21st in defensive rating, rarely showing the ability to crash a team's offensive game plan. The starting frontcourt, which consists of nobody over 6-foot-10, is relatively small, making Randle that much more of an intriguing play today.
I wouldn’t be discouraged by Randle’s 15-point, six-rebound, zero-assist statline against the Detroit Pistons on Friday. The zero assists are an anomaly for Randle and he played well throughout. New York punished the Pistons from the very beginning, with Randle only playing 25 minutes due to the lopsided affair.
Outside of a complete meltdown from Orlando, expect Randle to get going early and often in this one. As such, I like him to go Over 24.5 points and assists.
My best bet: Julius Randle Over 24.5 points + assists (-125)
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Magic vs Knicks spread analysis
After getting beat up in the first half of the first game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Knicks have really impressed, outscoring their opponent in six straight quarters. Bringing back a majority of the roster looks to be panning out for New York, as it’s clear everyone knows their roles and duties to the team.
Paolo Banchero is looking like a force and is showing no signs of struggling in the early going. The young star out of Duke is averaging an impressive 23.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
Tonight will be his toughest individual test in the early going as Julius Randle will be aggressive and go after the 19-year-old often. On the opposite side of the floor, look for Mitchell Robinson to contest everything at the rim, making it difficult for Banchero and the Magic to get anything easy in the paint.
Jalen Suggs is questionable to play in this one. Should he miss tonight’s game, he’s a valuable scorer and passer that the Magic will miss. Orlando is still rebuilding, while the Knicks have been dominant in the last game and a half. I favor the Knicks against the spread in this one.
Magic vs Knicks Over/Under analysis
One thing that’s clear in the first two games of the season is that this Knick offense is clicking, averaging 121 points per game (No. 6 in the NBA).
When watching them closely, some of this actually looks sustainable when you consider how deep the roster is at every position. One night, Cam Reddish drops 22 points. The next, Immanuel Quickly posts 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. This type of bench production cannot be overlooked.
Combine that bench with a starting core where four out of five can easily get hot and have a big scoring outing on any given night. Orlando has an offense that can’t be overlooked either, scoring over 105 points in two out of their first three games. This includes a 126-120 loss to the Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston Celtics.
I know some bettors may be wary of putting their faith in the Over for two teams that have a longstanding reputation for not being able to score points. The points per game numbers in the early going this season combined with the fact that neither team is particularly great on defense suggest we could be in for a high-scoring affair.
Magic vs Knicks betting trend to know
The Knicks are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Find more NBA betting trends for Magic vs. Knicks.
Magic vs Knicks game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Monday, October 24, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MSG, Bally Sports Florida |
