Magic vs Wizards Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 31st

Check out our free Magic vs Wizards pick and preview for this NBA game in Washington. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Magic vs Wizards NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Orlando Magic at Washington Wizards
Where: Washington at Capital One Arena
Date: Friday, March 31st
Betting Odds WAS -1.5, ORL +101 | WAS -123 O/U 224.0

So far, the Magic have put together an overall record of 32-44, while going 43-32-1 vs the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 2-1. Orlando is 3-0 vs the spread in these matchups.

Orlando will be gunning to get in the win column vs the Wizards, as they previously lost to the Grizzlies by a score of 113-108. However, because they entered as 6 point underdogs, they came away with an ATS win. Orlando got off to a slow start, trailing by 15 points going into halftime. Leading the team in scoring was Franz Wagner, as he contributed 25 points while hitting 38.1% of his shots.

So far, the Wizards have put together an overall record of 34-42, while going 34-40-2 vs the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 2-1. Washington is 2-1 vs the spread in these matchups.

The Wizards are coming off a 130-111 win over the Celtics. This win came despite entering the game as the 10 point underdogs. Washington was able to take care of business in the second half of this game, as they didn’t allow the Celtics to cut into their 13 point halftime lead. In the win, Kristaps Porzingis led the team in scoring with 32 points on a field goal percentage of 66.7%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Wizards picked up the 119-100 win over the Magic. The Wizards point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 4.5 point favorite. So far this season, the Wizards have a record of 2-1 vs the Magic. Similar to their season-long average, the Magic averaged 102.0 points per game vs the Wizards. Just like the Magic, the Wizards maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 111.25 points per game vs Orlando. The Wizards have had the better record vs the spread over the last 5 games, going 3-1-1. The team’s average scoring margin in these contests sits at 10 points per game. In these contests, they averaged a combined 232 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 76 games, the Magic are averaging 111.7 points per contest, placing them 26th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Magic will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 10.7 made 3’s per game. If Orlando continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 16th in the league in possessions per game.

Currently, the Magic defense is ranked 20th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 112.23 points per game vs the unit.

Small-Forward Franz Wagner currently leads the Magic at 18.8 points per game. For the season, he is 95th in the NBA in usage rate and has taken 16.4% of the team’s field goal attempts. In addition to his scoring, Wagner is averaging 4.1 boards and 3.6 assists per contest. In today’s game, he is facing off against the NBA’s 22nd ranked defense at defending small-forwards. Paolo Banchero enters the game sitting second on the team in scoring. Through 69 games, he is averaging 19.9 and is 168th in the league in player efficiency rating.

This season, the Washington offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 113.1 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Wizards will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.2 made 3’s per game. If Washington continues to struggle with their outside shot, they may look to start playing with more pace, as they are currently 21st in the league in possessions per game.

Defensively, Washington has had its problems giving up an average of 112.0 points per game (16th).

A key injury to note in this game is the absence of the Wizards 2nd leading scorer, Kyle Kuzma. In his 64 games, Kuzma is averaging 21.2 points per game while dishing out 3.7 assists and grabbing 7.2 rebounds. In his absence, the team will be looking for even more production out of Kristaps Porzingis, who leads the team and is 32nd in the NBA at 23.2 points per contest. For the season, he has connected on 49.8% of his field goal attempts while taking 18.1% of the team’s shots from the floor.