The Orlando Magic will try to break a four-game losing streak tonight as they host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Kia Center on Thursday night.
Portland is coming off two strong performances, and I’m taking them to cover again tonight in my Trail Blazers vs. Magic predictions.
Let’s dive into the best bets for tonight’s matchup in my free NBA picks for January 23.
Trail Blazers vs Magic prediction
My best bet
Trail Blazers +8 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Earlier this season, the Orlando Magic looked like one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. But a series of injuries has limited Orlando’s potential on both sides of the court, and playing with a shortened rotation seems to have caught up with Magic.
Currently, Orlando is still playing without Franz Wagner (24.4 ppg) due to an oblique injury. Jalen Suggs (16.4 ppg) is sidelined with a back injury, while Moritz Wagner (12.9 ppg) is out for the year. The Magic are happy to have young star Paolo Banchero (25.3 ppg) back, but it hasn’t been enough to turn things around.
Orlando has lost six of its last seven games, and has only gone 2-5 against the spread during that span. It’s certainly concerning that the Magic have scored only 97 ppg during that span, but the bigger problems may be on the defensive end.
On the season, Orlando has a stellar 108.0 defensive rating, ranking fourth in the league, and is only allowing opponents to score 104.4 ppg. During the current four-game losing streak, however, that average has ballooned to 116.3 ppg.
A week ago, Orlando might be looking forward to a visit from the Portland Trail Blazers as an opportunity to turn things around. But Portland is now on a two-game winning streak, winning both games against playoff teams in the Bulls and the Heat after coming in as the underdog in both contests.
DeAndre Ayton has put up two straight double-doubles in those games, while Anfernee Simons bounced back from a three-game slump with a 24-point outburst on Tuesday. While the Blazers are still years off from being a contender, they do show signs of a young team that’s starting to put things together, with the likes of Shaedon Sharpe (18.0 ppg), Scott Henderson (12.5 ppg), and rookie center Donovan Clingan finding definitive roles in the rotation.
Even if the Magic were playing at full strength, the Blazers would be able to give them a game. With Orlando’s shortened lineup and the defensive struggles we’ve seen in recent games, there’s every chance that Portland can pull a road upset here.
Even if they can’t quite get the win, the eight-point spread here is far too much for this depleted Magic roster to be giving up. I’m taking the Blazers to cover.
Trail Blazers vs Magic same-game parlay
Trail Blazers +8.5
Over 211.5
Anfernee Simons Over 17.5 points
Along with taking Portland to cover the spread, I’m also taking the Over as a part of my same-game parlay. The Blazers regularly play well over this total, and the Magic haven’t been great on defense as of late. As a result, they’ve come in Over tonight’s total in three of their last four games as well.
I’ll also bet on Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons to hit the Over on his scoring total tonight. Simons is coming off a 24-point performance on Tuesday, and has scored at least 18 points in eight of his last 12 appearances while averaging 20.2 ppg in January.
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Trail Blazers vs Magic odds
Trail Blazers vs Magic live odds
Trail Blazers vs Magic opening odds
- Spread: Portland +9 | Orlando -9
- Moneyline: Portland +308 | Orlando -380
- Over/Under: Over 212 | Under 212
Odds courtesy of bet365
Trail Blazers vs Magic spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Trail Blazers are 22-20-1 against the spread this season, with the Magic having an even 22-22-1 ATS record on the year.
- Portland has the 6-4 edge ATS in its last 10 meetings with Orlando.
- The Under is 27-18 in Orlando’s games this season, and has the 22-21 advantage in Portland’s contests.
- The Magic are playing to an average total of 208.3 ppg this year, while the Trail Blazers are averaging a total of 224.6 ppg.
Trail Blazers vs Magic trend
Orlando is 0-4 ATS in its last four games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Magic.
How to watch Trail Blazers vs Magic
| Location | Kia Center, Orlando, FL |
| Date | Thursday, 1-23-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | KUNP, FDSN |
Trail Blazers vs Magic latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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