Posted on
4/1/2008 3:13:55 PM
NBA Basketball Wagering – New Orleans Hornets at Orlando Magic
By Eric Williams
The New Orleans Hornets, (50-22 SU, 45-26-1 ATS, 36-34-2 O/U), got back to their winning ways on Sunday, beating the Toronto Raptors on the road 118-111 after getting routed by the Boston Celtics 112-92 on Friday in a possible NBA Finals preview.
New Orleans reached the 50-win plateau for the fourth time in franchise history while picking up their eighth victory in their last ten outings – and has repeatedly proven themselves as legitimate contenders to win the western conference this season.
"It's huge for us," said Hornets all-star forward David West, who had 32 points. "I don't know if many people expected us to be where we are. We feel good about it but we're not settling for just 50."
The Orlando Magic, (47-27 SU, 45-27-2 ATS, 35-37-2 O/U), beat the lowly Milwaukee Bucks 103-86 on Friday to snap a two-game losing streak in the BetUS Sportsbook and pick up their seventh victory in their last ten contests. The Magi have already clinched the Southeast Division title and will almost assuredly get the No. 3 seed in the conference behind the league-leading Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons.
"Our guys have sort of bought into wanting to raise the bar a bit here," Van Gundy said. "I think that's a nice accomplishment. And it's one of the goals we've had on the board for the last week."
The Magic have gone 5-4-1 against the spread in their last ten while New Orleans has gone 8-2 against the spread over the same span.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my NBA Betting Picks.
The Hornets are 5-0 ATS in their last five Tuesday games.
The Hornets are 8-0 ATS in their last eight after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
The Magic are 4-1 ATS in their last five Tuesday games.
The Magic are 9-3-1 ATS in their last 13 home games.
The Over is 7-0 in Hornets last seven road games vs. a team with a home winning percentage of greater than .600.
The Under is 6-0 in Magic last six games following a SU win of more than ten points.
The Hornets are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings in Orlando.
The Under is 7-1 in the last eight meetings.
Analysis: The Orlando Magic are having a fine season this year, but clearly aren’t in the same class as the New Orleans Hornets this season. Despite being on the road, I like the Hornets to not only cover this spread, but to win outright behind the terrific duo of Chris Paul and David West.
NBA Free Picks: Hornets +2½ Points/Over 208 Total Points
07:05 PM EST NBA Betting Odds
New Orleans Hornets -2½ -110
Orlando Magic +2½ -110
Over 208 -110
Under 208 -110
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