The Orlando Magic pay a visit to the Indiana Pacers at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night. Here’s a Magic vs Pacers Prediction.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic have gone cold lately as they’ve lost six of their last eight games and they will be hoping to put an end to a four-game slide after getting beaten by the Bucks in a 118-114 road loss on Thursday. Franz Wagner led the team with 29 points, six rebounds and six assists, Paolo Banchero added 23 points with seven rebounds and four assists while Moritz Wagner chipped in with 21 points on 10 of 15 shooting off the bench. As a team, the Magic shot 45 percent from the field and eight of 33 from the 3-point line as they did their best to hang with the Bucks until the third quarter where the Bucks went on a 22-10 run to go ahead by 15 points. The Magic rallied with 32 points in the fourth quarter but never got closer than two points.
Orlando Magic Player Facts
- Franz Wagner ranks T17th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.1) this season.
- Paolo Banchero ranks 35th amongst qualified players for points per game (20.7) this season.
Indiana Pacers
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have been in a slump of their own as they’ve lost six of their last eight games and they will be hoping for a better performance after getting thrashed by the Grizzlies in a 116-103 road loss on Thursday. Obi Toppin led the team with 22 points, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield scored 15 points each while Tyrese Haliburton tallied 17 points with 14 assists. As a team, the Pacers shot just 42 percent from the field and 18 of 52 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to erase an early 23-point deficit, only to run out of gas in the second half where the Grizzlies took over behind a big game of 31 points from Desmond Bane.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (127.1).
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for assists per game this season (30.7).
- The Magic rank 1st in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (9.4).
- The Magic rank 2nd in the league for opponent assists per game this season (23.4).
Magic vs Pacers Prediction
The Magic are keeping eyes on Joe Ingles and Jalen Suggs who are both questionable for this one, while the Pacers have listed Jalen Smith and Tyrese Haliburton as questionable also. The Magic were one of the surprise teams at the start of the season, but they’ve hit a bit of a lull with four losses in a row, while the Pacers have been struggling also and they just got taken down by the Grizzlies on Thursday. The Magic routed the Pacers back on Nov 19 and I think we’re going to see a similar result if the Pacers’ Haliburton isn’t able to suit up. This should be a close one, but I’ll lean towards the Magic as the slight underdog here.
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
