The Orlando Magic will visit State Farm Arena to face the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Orlando is 6-25 this season, though the Magic are coming off a victory in their last contest. Atlanta is 14-15 overall and 8-7 at home. Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) is probable for Atlanta, with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (non-COVID illness) listed as questionable. Trae Young (protocols), Clint Capela (protocols), Danilo Gallinari (protocols), Solomon Hill (hamstring) and De’Andre Hunter (wrist) are out for the Hawks. Cole Anthony (ankle) and Wendell Carter Jr. (leg) are questionable for Orlando, with Markelle Fultz (knee), Jalen Suggs (thumb) and Mo Bamba (protocols) ruled out.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Atlanta. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Hawks as 8-point home favorites, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 215.5 in the latest Hawks vs. Magic odds. Before you make any Magic vs. Hawks picks and NBA predictions, be sure to check out the betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 10 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 46-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $1,900. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Magic vs. Hawks, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Magic vs. Hawks:
- Magic vs. Hawks spread: Hawks -8
- Magic vs. Hawks over-under: 215.5 points
- Magic vs. Hawks money line: Hawks -400, Magic +310
- ORL: The Magic are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
- ATL: The Hawks are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
Featured Game | Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic
Why the Magic can cover
The Magic are facing a Hawks team with some weaknesses, and Orlando has strengths of its own. Atlanta is forcing only 12.2 turnovers per game this season, second-fewest in the NBA, and Orlando can play freely on offense as a result. The Hawks are also No. 27 in the NBA in assists allowed, with the Magic able to generate free throw attempts and convert them at a strong 77.5 percent clip.
On the other end, Orlando is allowing opponents to generate only 20.2 free throw attempts per game, and the Magic are in the top six of the NBA in points allowed in the paint (43.2 per game) and fast break points allowed (11.1 per game). Atlanta has been solidly out-scored in minutes without Trae Young this season, and the Hawks are just No. 29 in the NBA in producing fast break points to offset the absence of the team’s best offensive player.
Why the Hawks can cover
Atlanta is playing very well on offense, and this is also a favorable matchup for the Hawks in myriad ways. The Hawks have one of the NBA’s best marks in offensive efficiency, scoring 1.13 points per possession, and Atlanta is one of the top shooting teams in the NBA. The Hawks lead the NBA in three-point shooting at 38.0 percent, and Atlanta is No. 2 in the league in turnovers, committing only 12.4 per game.
From there, the Hawks are very strong on the defensive glass, securing more than 74 percent of available rebounds, and opponents are producing 11.9 second-chance points per game. Orlando is struggling mightily, ranking dead-last in the NBA in net rating, and the Magic are in the bottom three of the league in offensive and defensive rating. Orlando is producing only 1.43 assists for every turnover, with the No. 28 mark in shooting efficiency. The Magic are also just No. 29 in the NBA in assists allowed, and Atlanta is projected to have more core pieces available to play than Orlando does in this matchup.
How to make Magic vs. Hawks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, with only one player projected to score 20 points or more. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s Hawks vs. Magic pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Magic vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Magic vs. Hawks spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.