This has all the makings of a physical, hard-fought basketball game, and in that sort of environment, I'm particularly interested in taking a substantial plus-money price on the underdog. That would be the Magic and when I saw +165 next to them at the time of writing, I had to dive in.
Orlando and Toronto are two outfits that pride themselves on making opponents work for their points. Neither is particularly interested in giving away easy baskets, and when two defensively minded teams meet, the margins can become awfully thin. The Magic have already demonstrated their ability to turn games into defensive battles, holding the defending champion Knicks to just 102 points at Madison Square Garden. Toronto, meanwhile, has limited Chicago and Minnesota to 92 and 94 points, respectively. So why am I interested in Orlando outright rather than potentially looking at the Under? Simple. The +165 Money Line tag, I mentioned.
We're getting an insane price on a team that has the defensive capabilities to make this a considerably more competitive contest than the money line suggests. That's value. Toronto deserves respect, particularly at home, but in a matchup where possessions should be fiercely contested and scoring opportunities difficult to manufacture, the outright ticket has enormous equity. Orlando doesn't need to produce an offensive masterpiece to win this basketball game. The Magic need to establish their physicality, keep the contest within reach, and give themselves an opportunity to steal it down the stretch. This is a brawl disguised as a basketball game and we're getting a wonderful price on a team that can go blow-for-blow.
Magic vs Raptors prediction: Orlando +165 (ML) available at time of publishing. Playable to +155.
