Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic Prediction: Can Paolo Banchero, Magic Continue Last Season's Momentum?
Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic Prediction: Can Paolo Banchero, Magic Continue Last Season's Momentum?
The NBA kicked off last night with two good games between the Nuggets versus the Lakers and the Warriors versus the Suns. Tonight, the big slate kicks off with 12 games. One of my favorite plays comes in one of the first games to tip off tonight. Two young teams square off in their openers in the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets.
Rockets vs. Magic Date, Time, And Where To Watch
- Date: October 25, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: Bally Sports Florida
Rockets vs. Magic Odds
- Spread: Rockets +4.5 (-110), Magic -4.5 (-110)
- Total Odds: Under 220 (-110), Over 220 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Rockets (+155), Magic (-185)
Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic Prediction
This matchup features one rebuilt team and one team building off of last year's lineup, looking to take a jump in the standings after struggling last season. The Rockets were one of the worst teams in the league last season, finishing 22-60, above only the Pistons and tying with the Spurs. The Magic were slightly better, going 34-48 and finishing just under .500 at home. The Magic are slight -4.5 favorites to take their opener tonight. Can they cover?
Both of these teams have a lot of young players and could be new-look NBA competitors. The Magic have Franz Wagner playing in his third season, who has taken immense strides in his game and could be a future all-star, playing alongside another future all-star in Paolo Banchero, who is coming off an impressive rookie season after getting selected as the first overall pick. The Magic have a young team, with the lone "veteran" being Wendell Carter, who has been a nice addition at center since coming over from the Bulls. With this Magic team having a full year to mesh as a team, I am very excited to see what they can do down there in Orlando this season.
The Rockets also have a pretty young team, but they were aggressive in the offseason as well. The Rockets went out and got Fred VanVleet from Toronto and Dillon Brooks from Memphis. While these are two good additions, this new veteran-young gun mix may take a little bit to start meshing. The Rockets are one of the youngest teams outside of the two veterans they just added, and the young guys will have to do most of the scoring. VanVleet is a decent scorer, but Brooks will not give them enough offense to be game-changing.
Another worry is the Rockets bench. Outside of Tari Eason, who is injured to start the season, the Rockets have a very thin bench. They did add Reggie Bullock, but he is just not enough of a force offensively to keep up the scoring off the bench. The good news is that the Rockets' starting-five can likely play almost the entire game with few breaks, which could also be a bad thing if the lineup isn't working or the other team is on a run.
The reason I love the Magic in this spot so much is because they have their exact same starting five from last season, playing their second season opener together. Paolo was a rookie last year, and he will soon be entering his prime. The Magic played good basketball at home last year, going 20-21, just under .500. On the Rockets' end, they are bringing in two new guys to a young team, and that could take a minute on the court to figure out. It could even take the whole season. Can the Rockets be really good next year? I think so. But just adding VanVleet and Brooks to this team that struggled last year does not fix everything, especially right out of the gates.
The Rockets already had a poor 22-60 record last year, but they were even worse on the road, going 8-33. They won just eight road games all season, which was tied for the worst in the NBA. I like what the Magic are building down in Florida; Wagner and Banchero are the difference makers in this game for me. I think the Magic will use their advantage in the chemistry that they built last year and start out with a home win and cover to kick off the 2023-2024 season.
Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic Pick
Pick: Magic -4.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.