Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors Prop Pick: Can Brandin Podziemski Spark Warriors Against Magic?
Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors Prop Pick: Can Brandin Podziemski Spark Warriors Against Magic?
The NBA slate finishes off in California tonight with the Golden State Warriors hosting the Orlando Magic. The Magic are in the midst of a trip out west and began the road trip with a loss in Phoenix against the Suns. They look to bounce back against a Warriors team desperate for a win. The Warriors have lost three in a row and have not had good performances from their stars. Where can they get some production tonight?
Magic vs. Thunder Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date:Â January 2, 2024
- Game Time: 10:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch:Â NBA League Pass
Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors Prediction
The Warriors have had struggles from their stars. Draymond Green is still suspended, which hurts as well. Curry had 25 points against the Mavericks last game, but he only shot 9-25 (36%) from the field. He shot 20% against the Heat and 33% against the Nuggets in the two games prior. Klay Thompson had just 3 points against the Mavericks, shooting 1-11 from the field. He had 13 against the Heat on 36% shooting and 9 points against the Nuggets on 25% shooting. That's the splash bros., one of the best shooting duos in the NBA in normal times. They are also the two leading scorers for the Warriors.
The Warriors need better bench production to take the liability off the splash bros. a bit, and rookie guard Brandin Podziemski has brought some lately. The guard out of Santa Clara had a slow start to his rookie season, averaging just 16.9 minutes per game and 7.1 points per game in November. However, after liking what they saw, the Warriors have increased his playing time, as he was up to 29 minutes per game on average in December. His points per game increased to 11.2. Aside from good shooting, Podziemski is also a great rebounder, averaging 6.8 rebounds per game in December off the bench as a guard, which is pretty damn good.
Podziemski's recent uptick in shooting percentage, minutes, and overall usage has not caught up to his line on the books yet. His points + rebounds + assists line is 17.5 tonight. He is averaging 17.7 on the year, but that includes all those games where he played way under 20 minutes. He is getting close to 30 minutes or above even in the last few weeks, and his points + rebounds + assists have jumped significantly. He is averaging 25.4 P+R+A over the last two weeks, and he has hit 19+ PRA in 10 of his 13 games in December. With the splash bros. struggling a bit, and Draymond still suspended, expect the rookie to shine off the bench today.
Orlando Magic vs. Golden State Warriors Pick
Pick: Brandin Podziemski Over 17.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-130) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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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.