Atlanta Hawks (26-29) vs Orlando Magic (27-29)
Game Info: Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 7:30 pm (State Farm Arena)
Betting Odds: Atlanta Hawks +1.5 -- Over/Under: 223 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: FanDuel SN SE
The Orlando Magic (27-29) are set to face the Atlanta Hawks (26-29) on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 7:30 PM ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Magic are slight favorites, with a 1.5-point spread in their favor.
Before the All-Star break, the Magic secured a 102-86 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Paolo Banchero led the team with 24 points, while Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. The Magic shot approximately 41% from the field and dominated the rebounding battle.
The Hawks have won three of their last four games, including a 112-106 victory over the Magic on February 10, 2025. In that matchup, the Hawks were led by their star players, who contributed significantly to the team's success.
Franz Wagner Over 27.5 Points
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has played 36 games in the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. His field goal percentage stands at 46.5%, and he has a three-point shooting percentage of 31.7%. Notably, Wagner was among the players considered for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game but was ultimately not selected.
Wagner has scored 30 or more points in five of his last 10 games. He has a favorable matchup going against the Atlanta Hawks who are allowing 119.1 points per game to opposing teams which is the fifth most in the league. Historically Wagner has had great games against this Atlanta Hawks team and he’ll have another one on Thursday night.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Under 7.5 Points
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has played 53 games for the Orlando Magic in the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 8.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage stands at 41.0%, and he has a three-point shooting percentage of 30.9%. Notably, Caldwell-Pope has struggled with his three-point shooting this season, ranking among the lowest in the league.
The Caldwell-Pope experiment just hasn't played out how the Magic have wanted it to start his tenure with Orlando. He's failed to score over seven points and eight of his last 10 games. He's not only been inefficient from the field but isn't getting a lot of opportunities to score the ball either. I'll continue to take unders on Caldwell-Pope’s scoring until it lets me down.
Trae Young Over 27.5 Points
Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has played 51 games in the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 23.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game. His field goal percentage stands at 40.7%, and he has a three-point shooting percentage of 33.6%. Notably, Young was selected as an All-Star reserve for the Eastern Conference in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, replacing the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Trae Young has scored 30 or more points in five of his last seven games. With Jalen Johnson being out for the season for the Atlanta Hawks and DeAndre Hunter getting traded Trae Young is one of this Atlanta team's only effective scorers. If Atlanta wants to continue to win games Trae Young will have to continue to have consistent 30+ point games.
Brad’s Pick See Above
AUTHOR: Brad Francis
