Thunder and Magic, NBA’s Best Teams ATS, Square Off

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic are both playoff contenders. Turns out, that’s not the only area in which they’ve distinguished themselves. They’re also the NBA’s two best teams ATS over the first half of the NBA regular season, driving home profits on regular basis for bettors. They’ve combined to go 67-38-1 ATS, covering in over 60% of their games.

Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET) in Orlando, they’ll square off head to head. Oklahoma City won the first meeting between the teams this season, 112-100 on Jan. 13.

Oklahoma City is an early 3-point favorite, while the Over/Under is projected at 229.5. What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the Thunder vs Magic lines in our NBA game preview.

Betting Trends – Thunder vs Magic Lines

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 32-20-1 ATS, including 14-11-1 away from home. Oklahoma City has also fared well against the Over/Under, amassing a record of 29-22-2. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic are 35-18 ATS, including 17-7 at home. As for the Over/Under, Orlando is just 25-27-1.

Be sure to remember these trends when betting on the Thunder vs Magic lines.

OKC Surging Atop the West

In a loaded Western Conference, Oklahoma City has separated itself as one of the favorites. The Thunder are 36-17, a half game behind Minnesota for the best record in the conference. They’re coming off a 127-113 win over the Kings on Sunday, in which they were 3.5-point favorites.

Oddsmakers have reacted in kind. The Thunder — projected for 44.5 regular-season wins — are +1100 to win the West and +2500 to win the NBA Finals, one of nine teams with 25/1 odds or better. At the moment, seven teams have shorter odds.

An infusion of young talent has fueled Oklahoma City’s resurgence, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The sixth-year guard will be headed to his second NBA All-Star Game this week, including his first as a starter. Gilgeous-Alexander is fourth in the league in scoring with 31.1 points per game and is also first in steals (2.2) and 13th in assists (6.6). As such, he now has the second-best odds to win NBA MVP at +185, behind only Denver’s Nikola Jokic (-150).

Oklahoma City has been one of the league’s most explosive teams, ranking fourth in scoring (120.7) and tied for second in field goal percentage (49.9). The Thunder also have the second-best scoring differential at plus-7.0.

The Thunder are 32-20-1 ATS, although they’ve failed to cover in six of their last eight games. They’re 2-3 ATS this month and just 10-12 since the calendar flipped to 2024. At the same time, Oklahoma City has continued to fare remarkably well against the Over/Under. It’s gone Over the total in four of its last five games and is 29-22-2 on the season. Keep that in mind when analyzing the Thunder vs Magic lines.

Bettors Winning Big on Magic

Orlando has been just as, if not more, surprising than the Thunder. The Magic — projected for 37.5 regular-season wins — lead the Southeast Division at 29-24 and are on track to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since the COVID-interrupted 2020 season. They’re currently seventh in the East, a half game behind Indiana to avoid the play-in round.

Despite that, oddsmakers remain skeptical about Orlando being a legitimate contender in the postseason. The Magic are still only +6000 to win the East and a +25000 longshot to win the NBA Finals. Seven teams currently have better conference odds, including Miami (+1500).

Reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero is Orlando’s leading scorer, averaging 22.8 points to go with 6.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists. Banchero’s gotten solid help from Franz Wagner, who’s posting career highs across the board in points (21.2), rebounds (5.6) and assists (4.1).

The Magic have been stout defensively, limiting opponents to an average of 110.8 points (tied for fourth-fewest in NBA). Even so, the Magic are still just 25-27-1 against the Over/Under, including 11-13 at home. Four of their last five games have gone Over the total, including Saturday’s 114-108 overtime win over Chicago in which the Magic were 5-point favorites.

Orlando, meanwhile, has the league’s best record ATS at 35-18. It’s covered in seven of its last eight games on the NBA game schedule, including four of five at home.

Handicapping the Game

Orlando is 5-1 over its last six games and leads the Southeast Division, yet there’s still doubts about whether it can make a serious postseason run. A victory here would certainly help Orlando’s case. However, obviously, that’s easier said than done.

Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar in the making, and he’s surrounded by a hearty dose of talent led by 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey. Gordon Hayward, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Charlotte, is out indefinitely on the NBA injury report with a calf strain.

That’s a lot for Orlando to handle. On top of that, Oklahoma City has been formidable on the road, going 15-11 OU and 14-11-1 ATS.

For NBA betting news, odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine

Want more articles like this? Check these out:

• Can Minnesota Hold Onto First Place In The West?
• NBA Trade Deadline Recap: Watch Out For These Teams and Players
• The New Orleans Pelicans Are Looking For Fifth Straight Win Tonight
• Kings Seeking Crown from Defending Champs
• Hawks vs 76ers Odds: Atlanta Visits Philadelphia in Potential Shootout
• Mavericks vs Knicks Betting Odds: Can Dallas Exploit New York?