Orlando Magic at Houston Rockets Betting Preview
Magic Fighting for Playoff Positioning
Even though the 2023-24 NBA season is almost over, most of the playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference are still up in the air. And, as the current No. 3 seed — but only one game behind the No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks and just three games ahead of the No. 8 Miami Heat — the Orlando Magic (46-32) still have a lot of work left to do.
They need to take care of business against the Houston Rockets (38-40) on Tuesday, and the Magic vs Rockets odds like their chances of doing so.
Houston was just eliminated from Western Conference playoff contention a few days ago amid a still-active five-game losing streak that immediately followed an 11-game winning streak.
It’s been that kind of up-and-down season for a talented but young Rockets team that somehow dragged itself into the postseason mix before playing itself right out of it. So, without anything to play for, the NBA lineups for the Rockets in this game could be weird.
Interestingly, the Rockets owe their first-round pick this season to the Thunder if it does not fall between the No. 1 and No. 4 overall pick. That means Houston as an organization is incentivized to lose as much as possible for the rest of the season to maximize the chances of keeping that pick.
It remains to be seen how much this will affect Houston’s rotations and player usage against Orlando, but it is certainly worth keeping in mind.
Orlando Magic vs Houston Rockets 
Day/Time:
Location: Toyota Center
Magic Are Banged Up
While Orlando certainly won’t be resting guys with so much left to play for, the Magic could be without Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac. Wagner is questionable with a sprained ankle, while Isaac is questionable with a back injury.
It doesn’t make too much sense to risk further injury to a starter like Wagner or useful bench piece like Isaac if they aren’t fully ready to go. The Magic vs Rockets odds will take a hit if Wagner can’t go.
The good news for Orlando is that Caleb Houstan, who missed the previous four games with an ankle injury, is back and gives the Magic another solid wing option.
One of Orlando’s strengths is its depth as Jamahl Mosley has a ridiculous 15 players who have either played at least 39 games and/or average double-digit minutes when they do play. If any team is built to weather short-term absences from key players in the NBA bracket come playoff-time, it’s the Magic.
Will Rockets Try?
This seems to be the operative question for this game. The Magic vs Rockets odds have Orlando as only a 2.5-point favorite, so it seems as if Vegas expects Houston to put together a solid effort even after being eliminated.
There isn’t word yet on how the Rockets will approach their final four games of the season, particularly with a roster mainly consisting of guys who are pretty young.
If they do put forth a legitimate effort — the NBA will surely be closely monitoring how Ime Udoka manages his team for the rest of the year — then the line is fair.
Houston has been struggling and Orlando is motivated to keep winning so they can potentially jump the Bucks and make sure that they stay ahead of the Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers, 76ers and Heat.
The NBA playoff bracket changes dramatically based on how these last couple of games turn out so each game is so incredibly important for matchup purposes. Orlando also plays Milwaukee two more times and Philadelphia one more time which heightens the urgency of this game.
Go With Orlando
When in doubt, take the team that still has something to play for. The Rockets don’t mind playing spoiler to the Magic, but with a long losing streak going—extended by a crushing overtime loss to the Mavericks on Sunday—it wouldn’t be surprising to see Houston play like a team that can’t wait for the season to end.
That’s why taking the Magic to lay the points is the right move. Orlando will be motivated, and even if Franz Wagner and Isaac can’t go, the Magic have more than enough weapons to put up a lot of points against the Rockets. If you don’t want to risk a very close game, the Magic are only -125 on the moneyline. That isn’t bad value for a team as good as they are.
The point total is only 212.5 which seem low. Orlando isn’t a great offensive team and is elite defensively while Houston isn’t special on either end. For today’s NBA, 212.5 points is on the low end of the spectrum. The over is a good move here.
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
