Magic vs Raptors Picks and Predictions: Barnes Boards Up in Raps Cover

Dwane Casey continues to curse the Toronto Raptors after they lost their sixth consecutive game to their former bench boss last night. The Raps will need a short memory, as they welcome the Orlando Magic to town for the second half of a back-to-back.

Toronto is once again a large favorite, but that certainly didn’t mean anything against the Pistons. Will the Raps be able to shake off the effects of the Casey Curse or will the Magic hold all the cards as an underdog?

Find out in our free NBA picks and predictions for Magic vs. Raptors on March 4.

Magic vs Raptors odds

This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.

The Raptors opened this Eastern Conference clash as 8-point home chalk, but recent results and the fact they are playing their second game in as many nights has the early money coming in on the Magic, moving the line to 7 and as low as 6.5 at some sportsbooks.

The total hasn’t seen as much action. It hit the board at 220 and after being briefly bet to 220.5 it has come down to 219.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Magic vs Raptors predictions

• Prediction: Raptors -6.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)
• Best bet: Barnes Over 7.5 rebs (-130)

Predictions made on 3/4/2022 at 2:45 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Magic vs Raptors game info

• Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
• Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Florida, Sportsnet

Magic vs Raptors betting preview

Key injuries

Magic: Wendell Carter Jr. PF (Questionable), Markelle Fultz PG (Out), Jonathan Isaac PF (Out).
Raptors: Fred VanVleet PG (Questionable), Thad Young PF (Questionable), OG Anunoby SF (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Under is 7-2 in the Magic's last nine games versus a team with a winning straight-up record while it is 5-1 in the Raptors' last six games as a favorite. Find more NBA betting trends for Magic vs. Raptors.

Magic vs Raptors picks and predictions

Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.

Spread analysis

The Casey Curse continued last night as the Pistons upset the Raptors in Toronto 108-106 as 8-point underdogs. It was the sixth consecutive win straight up — all as underdogs of five points or more — for Dwane Casey against his former team.

So, can the Raptors shake off that performance and bounce back against the Magic?

For starters, getting All-Star Fred VanVleet back in the lineup would be a huge help. VanVleet played the first two games out of the break but his knee was clearly still bothering him, thus he's sat out the last three games. And his absence has been felt.

Pascal Siakam thrives with VanVleet in the two-man game and his shooting creates more space for fellow sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. 

One positive recently has been the play of Scottie Barnes. The kid out of Florida State is making Rookie of the Year voters take notice. He was just voted Rookie of the Month for February, and in the last three games without VanVleet, he has averaged 22.3 points, shooting a ridiculous 67.5 % from the field while adding 12 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 steals. 

Meanwhile, the Magic come into this one winners of two of their last three, but those wins came against the Pacers and Rockets. They are 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS over the last 10 games. For the season they rank 28th in offensive rating and 23rd in defensive rating. 

The Raptors should win and cover this game. But they seem to have a habit of playing to the level of their competition. That said, everyone knows that and has pushed the line all the way down to 6.5. I don’t feel confident in it, but I’ll lean towards the Raps in hopes that Fred returns.

Prediction: Raptors -6.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

When it comes to the total, the early money has come in on the Under and it’s not hard to see why. 

For starters, the Raptors offense has taken a step back recently. Toronto was flying high during its eight-game winning streak before the All-Star break. But in the eight games since then, the Raptors rank 24th in offensive rating and 29th in scoring, putting up 105.4 points per game. The Under is 6-2 in those eight games. 

But the Raptors still put in the effort on the defensive end of the floor and are still among the league leaders in steals and give up 107.4 points per game. 

Now, they face a Magic team that really struggles to generate offense. They rank 28th in defensive rating and in scoring offense, averaging 104 points per game. 

With the way these offenses are playing, the Under looks like a solid bet here.

Prediction: Under 218.5 (-110)

Best bet

As noted, Scottie Barnes is really coming on strong in the second half of the season. Barnes was just named rookie of the month for February and maintains a Top-3 spot in the Rookie of the Year odds.

On top of that, he has been dominating the last three games with Fred VanVleet on the shelf — particularly on the boards — and we like him to keep cleaning up the glass in this one.

While the Magic have some solid rebounders, they are not a great rebounding team. In fact, they rank 26th in rebounding percentage and opponent rebounds per game. And with Scottie pulling down double-digit boards in three straight we like that to continue tonight.

Pick: Scottie Barnes Over 7.5 rebounds (-130)

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