The Orlando Magic (16-10) travel to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks (20-7) on Thursday, December 21st. This game will be played at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Magic are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Spurs. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Magic vs Bucks

The Magic Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Magic fell to the Heat by a score of 115-106. The Magic managed to secure te win, even though they were behind at halftime 68-50.

With an overall record of 16-10, the Magic are looking to snap their three game losing streak as they take on the Bucks. In the Eastern Conference, the team is currently 4th and they are leading the Southeast division.

Orlando arrives with an ATS record of 17-9 for the season up to this point. The Magic maintain an ATS record of 6-6 on the road, while they have a 11-3 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

The Bucks Are Coming Off A Win

The Bucks’ most recent matchup against the Spurs saw Damian Lillard lead the Bucks with 40 points while shooting 14/22 from the field. As the Bucks secured the victory with a final score of 132-119, Bobby Portis also chipped in with 23 points.

With today’s game on the horizon, the Bucks are hoping to extend their five game winning streak and currently hold a record of 20-7. In the Eastern Conference, the Bucks are in 2nd place and are in 1st place in the Central division.

Milwaukee arrives with an ATS record of 12-15 for the season up to this point. On the road, the Bucks have an ATS record of 5-5, as opposed to a 7-10 record against the spread when playing at home.

Magic Offense Breakdown

In 26 games games, Orlando has an average of 113 points per game (19th). Coming into today’s game, the Magic will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.2 made 3’s per game. If the Orlando offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14.2 turnovers per game.

Bucks Offense Breakdown

The Milwaukee offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 2nd ranked offense at 124.7 points per game. The Bucks come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 14.4 made 3’s per game. In addition to their strong outside shooting numbers, the team is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NBA, averaging 102.1 possessions per contest.

Magic Team Defense

Currently, the Magic’s defense holds the 4 rank in the NBA, allowing 110.1 points per game.

In the terms of takeaways, Magic are causing 14.2 turnovers per game, ranking 25th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 13th in rejections, averaging 5.4 blocked shots each game.

Bucks Team Defense

The Bucks’ defense is presently ranked 23 in the league, allowing an average of 119.2 points per contest.

When it comes to forced turnovers, the Bucks are forcing 13.1 per game, which is 16th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 11th in blocked shots at 5.6 per game.

Key Players For The Magic And Bucks

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Paolo Banchero as the primary point contributor for the Magic, finishing with 18 points while maintaining a 7/14 shooting accuracy. This season, he is averaging 20.6 points per game along with 6.9 boards.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Giannis Antetokounmpo to be the top scorer for the Bucks. Our projection has him finishing the game with 20, and he is expected to secure 8 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 61.1% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 30.6 points per game.

Magic vs Bucks Trends

• Although Orlando has a straight up record of 1-4 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-4. The team averaged 109 points per game in these games.
• Milwaukee has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 120 points per game while allowing 121. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Orlando has an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Bucks have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.

 

Magic vs Bucks Prediction

 

For a pick on the point-spread in this Bucks vs. Magic matchup, our bet is to grab the Magic at +8.5. Even though our projections have the Bucks winning 111-109, we see the Magic as the play on the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 238.5 and given that our model is projecting 220 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.