By: LT Profits Sports Group
NBA Pick: Magic +6½ (-110)
The Orlando Magic and the Minnesota Timberwolves are each a rather surprising 2-1, but the Timberwolves seem over valued after erasing a 22-point deficit to upset Brooklyn last game, so take the points with Orlando Wednesday.
There looks to be a rather weak favorite on Wednesday night when the Orlando Magic (2-1, 0-1 away) pay a visit to the seemingly overvalued Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1, 1-0 home) at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN at 8:05 ET.
The point spread at Bookmaker Sportsbook has Orlando as a decided underdog for this contest with a current line of +6½ at odd of -110.
The Timberwolves finished in last place in the Northwest Division, but this team figured to improve this season as it does have two superstars in Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams figures to improve in his second season and the Wolves even lured Brandon Roy out of retirement.
The problem is that Love and Rubio are both injured and will still be out for a while, with Love not expected back until December and Rubio not until January. Furthermore, Roy is still playing himself back into shape and may never be the player he was in Portland following microfracture surgery. Roy is averaging 6.7 points but a respectable 4.3 assists in the early going.
This is not a team we would be comfortable giving more than four points with, let alone the 6½ it is being asked to give here. This price might be inflated a tad due to Minnesota’s amazing fourth quarter comeback vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, when the T-Wolves erased what was once 22-point deficit and actually pulled away late to a 107-96 triumph.
Minnesota shot a blistering 49.4 percent in that contest and out-rebounded Brooklyn 46-30, feats that the Wolves are unlikely to repeat tonight. After all, this is a team that is still shooting just 43.8 percent for the season, and unless Roy finds the Fountain of Youth, things do not figure to improve until Love and Rubio return. Yes, that could potentially make Minnesota a dangerous second-half team, but it should be quire erratic until then,
The Magic are adjusting to life without Dwight Howard, and they have been very competitive thus far. Orlando opened up with two home wins vs. the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Sun, erasing a 15-point deficit in the Phoenix win, and the Magic then gave the Chicago Bulls all that they can handle in the Windy City last night.
Orlando fell short in the 99-93 defeat in a game it led by two points entering the fourth quarter, but the Magic did improve to 3-0 against the spread. The Magic had five players score in double-digits in the loss including J.J. Redick off the bench, with Arron Afflalo leading the way with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting including 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Afflalo also enjoys facing Minnesota, averaging 19.2 points in his last six meetings with the Timberwolves.
The Magic are averaging 103.3 points on a very good 46.6 percent shooting, but what really makes Orlando an attractive underdog is its defense. The Magic are limiting opponents to 94.0 points per game on a scant 42.9 percent shooting early on. Dwight who?
Now Jameer Nelson remains questionable for the Magic after missing the last two games with a groin injury, but it may not matter if E'Twaun Moore continues to perform like he did in Nelson’s place last night, when he scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting including three successful three-pointers, adding five rebounds and two assists.
Look for the Magic to at the very least take this game down to the wire so take the points with Orlando on Wednesday.
The point spread at Bookmaker Sportsbook has Orlando as a decided underdog for this contest with a current line of +6½ at odd of -110.
The Timberwolves finished in last place in the Northwest Division, but this team figured to improve this season as it does have two superstars in Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams figures to improve in his second season and the Wolves even lured Brandon Roy out of retirement.The problem is that Love and Rubio are both injured and will still be out for a while, with Love not expected back until December and Rubio not until January. Furthermore, Roy is still playing himself back into shape and may never be the player he was in Portland following microfracture surgery. Roy is averaging 6.7 points but a respectable 4.3 assists in the early going.
This is not a team we would be comfortable giving more than four points with, let alone the 6½ it is being asked to give here. This price might be inflated a tad due to Minnesota’s amazing fourth quarter comeback vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, when the T-Wolves erased what was once 22-point deficit and actually pulled away late to a 107-96 triumph.
Minnesota shot a blistering 49.4 percent in that contest and out-rebounded Brooklyn 46-30, feats that the Wolves are unlikely to repeat tonight. After all, this is a team that is still shooting just 43.8 percent for the season, and unless Roy finds the Fountain of Youth, things do not figure to improve until Love and Rubio return. Yes, that could potentially make Minnesota a dangerous second-half team, but it should be quire erratic until then,
The Magic are adjusting to life without Dwight Howard, and they have been very competitive thus far. Orlando opened up with two home wins vs. the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Sun, erasing a 15-point deficit in the Phoenix win, and the Magic then gave the Chicago Bulls all that they can handle in the Windy City last night.
Orlando fell short in the 99-93 defeat in a game it led by two points entering the fourth quarter, but the Magic did improve to 3-0 against the spread. The Magic had five players score in double-digits in the loss including J.J. Redick off the bench, with Arron Afflalo leading the way with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting including 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc. Afflalo also enjoys facing Minnesota, averaging 19.2 points in his last six meetings with the Timberwolves.
The Magic are averaging 103.3 points on a very good 46.6 percent shooting, but what really makes Orlando an attractive underdog is its defense. The Magic are limiting opponents to 94.0 points per game on a scant 42.9 percent shooting early on. Dwight who?
Now Jameer Nelson remains questionable for the Magic after missing the last two games with a groin injury, but it may not matter if E'Twaun Moore continues to perform like he did in Nelson’s place last night, when he scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting including three successful three-pointers, adding five rebounds and two assists.
Look for the Magic to at the very least take this game down to the wire so take the points with Orlando on Wednesday.
NBA Pick: Magic +6½ (-110)
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