The Golden State Warriors travel to Florida to compete against the Orlando Magic on Thursday evening.
The Golden State Warriors have been performing exceptionally with their revamped team, and my predictions for the matchup against the Orlando Magic anticipate this trend to persist tonight. Here are my top free NBA selections for tonight’s matchup.
Prediction for the Warriors versus Magic matchup
My optimal wager: Warriors -5 (-110 at bet365)
My assessment
Jimmy Butler exhausted his time in Miami, however the talented forward is already experiencing the initial euphoria of his tenure with the Golden State Warriors.
Following the acquisition of Butler at the trade deadline, the Warriors have achieved a record of 6-1 both straight up and against the spread, while leading the NBA in defensive rating and placing sixth in offensive rating. It is noteworthy that five of those games were played away from home, and the Warriors are traveling again this evening.
Concurrently, the Orlando Magic have just suffered a humiliating 40-point defeat to the Cavaliers on their home court. The Magic have faced significant injuries throughout the season, and their backcourt is presently a problem, with Cole Anthony listed as questionable for tonight’s game and Jalen Suggs still unavailable.
The Orlando team ranks second in the league for defensive rating but has encountered difficulties offensively, relying mostly on Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner with minimal support from others. The Magic are 28th in the league for offensive rating (107.1) and 29th in effective field goal percentage (50.1%).
Banchero and Wagner have been out due to injury; yet, Orlando has continued to struggle offensively, even with both players present in the lineup since January 23. Since that time, the Magic have recorded a 6-9 record both straight up and against the spread, while positioning themselves second to worst in the league for offensive rating (105.8). Support the fervent Warriors to maintain their momentum.
Steve Kerr has been prepared to modify his lineup to invigorate the Warriors, recently substituting Buddy Hield with Moody at shooting guard.
Moody has achieved 13 or more points in eight of his previous ten games, averaging 13.8 points per game and 27.4 minutes per game over this period. He additionally recorded 17 points versus the Magic during their previous encounter earlier this month.
Wagner is averaging 4.9 assists per game and has surpassed 3.5 assists in three of his last four matches. If Anthony abstains from participation, Wagner’s responsibilities as a facilitator are likely to expand.
