Magic vs. Suns prediction and odds for Thursday, March 16
By Josh Yourish
The super-Suns aren’t fully intact with Kevin Durant’s ankle injury, and Phoenix has lost three games straight without him.
The Suns are still near the top of a very crowded Western Conference and will likely get their newest star back for the playoffs, but if they keep losing games, they could find themselves with a low seed or even in the Play-In tournament. Phoenix is 37-32 which is good for fourth place in the West.
Tonight, they’ll host the Orlando Magic who are 28-41 and despite all of their young talent and promise, will be drafting in the lottery again.
Let’s get into the odds for the Magic and Suns in the desert.
Magic vs. Suns odds, spread and total
Magic vs. Suns prediction and pick
Orlando is a young team that struggles on the road. They’re actually only 16-19 at home, barely under .500, but on the road, they are 12-22. That’s not the worst record on the road in the league, but it’s far from the best. They have a net rating of -4.9 on the road which is 23rd in the league.
Surprisingly, Banchero, their star rookie, averages more points on the road, barely, and shoots just as well from the field despite teh teams overall woes away from Orlando. His running mate in the front court, Franz Wagner shoots 51.5% at home and 45.8% on the road and averages three less points. So, it’s the supporting cast around Banchero that fades a bit away from home.
Speaking of supporting casts, Phoenix is much more shallow after they traded for Durant. The Suns sacrificed a lot of depth and are now starting Josh Okogie and Torrey Craig with Terrence Ross and Ish Wainwright playing big minutes off the bench. They still have Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, and Booker is the best player on the court in most games, but I actually favor the bench of Orlando.
The OVER is 5-0 in Orlando’s last five games, but if the Magic’s secondary scorer doesn’t play as well on the road and Phoenix is lacking depth, I’ll take the under in this matchup.
Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change