Magic Hawks Betting – Magic Show Hawks Who The Boss Is In Atlanta

Online betting players watched Orlando make short work of Atlanta in last year’s playoffs, but the Hawks have gotten some measure of revenge with a couple of wins against the Magic this season. On Wednesday, the Magic will make their way into Atlanta and they’ll prove to the Hawks that it’s going to be another short playoff series if the two meet again.

• What: NBA Betting
• When: Wednesday, March 30th, 7:00 PM ET
• Where: Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• Pick: Orlando Magic

Why Bet On Orlando Magic

The Magic are always a good bet on any given night for one reason: they have a legitimate MVP candidate in Dwight Howard and even though coach Stan Van Gundy was probably right in saying that the media (who votes on the award) has already made up their mind with Chicago’s Derrick Rose, that is taking nothing away from Howard’s spectacular season. As of Friday, the big man has 23.1 points, 14.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals, and he plays a significant role in every single possession that he’s on the floor, on both ends. The supporting cast around him has settled into their roles, and Hedo Turkoglu doesn’t even look like he ever left Orlando. His ability to handle the ball frees up Jameer Nelson to play off the ball, and Jason Richardson may be the most dangerous fourth option in basketball.

It’s tough to even say that the Magic are a small team as Brandon Bass is a little more consistent, but Orlando can be exposed if Howard gets into foul trouble or has problems holding onto the ball. When the Magic lost to the Lakers on March 14th, Howard had nine turnovers. Orlando lost March 7th to Portland, and Howard was suspended because of the rules surrounding technical fouls. In the game before that, Howard had seven turnovers in a loss to Chicago. A lot of Orlando’s fortunes are tied to the big man in the middle, which strengthens the argument that he is the most valuable player in the NBA.

Why Bet On Atlanta Hawks 

If there is one thing NBA betting players can say about the Hawks, is that they at least have shown some heart after the Magic romped them in historic fashion in last year’s playoffs by winning two of the three meetings before this game. Joe Johnson has averaged 20.0 points in two games against the Magic this season, while Al Horford and Josh Smith combined for 33.4 points and 20.7 rebounds, which is really the only way you can combat Howard because no one player is going to do it. The Hawks have done a superb job on the Magic by allowing an average of 82.7 points, holding Orlando to 39% shooting, and an absurd 19.7% from beyond the arc. It looks like pride is the main objective for Atlanta when they face the Magic after Orlando blew them out by an average of over 25 points in a four-game sweep.

They’re going to have to pull out that pride once again because the Hawks aren’t going into the playoffs with momentum. Denver, Miami and Chicago have all come into Atlanta over the last couple of weeks and routed the Hawks, and that’s not a good sign for a team with playoff aspirations. It also doesn’t help that Horford has a hamstring problem that he continues to play with. The Hawks need him healthy not only to have a chance in this game, but to have a chance in the postseason against what is looking more and more to be a rematch with the Magic.

How The Game Will Play Out

The Hawks should be a slight NBA betting favorite in this game, although we wouldn’t be surprised if the Magic were favored, especially if Horford is out of the lineup. Atlanta is 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS against the Magic this season, and you may want to pay attention to the posted total as these two have gone under in nine of their last 10 meetings. Atlanta doesn’t even look like a playoff team right now, and we’re looking for the Magic to show why there is such a great divide between the top four in the East (Chicago, Boston, Miami and Orlando) and the rest of the conference. If Horford is out, the Hawks have no way to slow down Howard and that is going to draw a double team, which should free up some of their three-point shooters to improve on their lousy percentage against the Hawks. This is a statement game, and we’re betting on Orlando to flex their muscles, so put your sports betting faith behind the Magic.