The NBA has taken its talents abroad as the Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic square off in the NBA Berlin Game on Thursday. Memphis has had the upper hand in recent meetings with 7 wins in 8 games, but can the Magic reverse this trend led by the Wagner brothers? Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 pm ET, live on Amazon Prime Video. For this special occasion, I’ve prepared a Grizzlies vs Magic parlay at +336 odds to hopefully deliver us an afternoon winner. Let’s break it down, while you can also grab our NBA picks for every single game on Thursday and beyond.
Magic ML (-200)
Paolo Banchero (ORL) to score 20+ points (-250)
Anthony Black (ORL) 2+ made threes (-146)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) 1+ made threes (-400)
Grizzlies vs Magic parlay odds: +336
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Orlando Magic ML over Memphis Grizzlies (-200)
This will be a unique experience for both teams given the game is being played overseas in a completely new environment for most players on each roster. A slight edge goes to the Magic, as they have the German-native Wagner brothers. Mo Wagner just recently returned from injury, and the same is expected from Franz, who has been out for over a month dealing with his ankle issue. The Magic are the more in-form team as well; they’ve beaten 4 of their last 5 opponents from the Western Conference.
Ever since the Ja Morant trade news went public, the atmosphere around the Grizzlies just hasn’t been good. Apart from Jaren Jackson Jr., the Magic don’t really have anyone to worry about in Thursday’s game. First and foremost, the two teams will look to put on a show for all the European fans at this game, but I’ll give the Magic the benefit of the doubt here and back them to win outright.
Read our full Grizzlies vs Magic prediction for today’s game in Berlin
Paolo Banchero (ORL) to score 20+ points (-250)
Most of the attention will probably be on Franz Wagner here, given that he is a German native playing in his hometown. However, with him not playing for over a month due to his injury, the Magic are likely going to stick with Paolo Banchero as their number-one scoring option in this game. The one-time All-Star from 2024 has averaged over 20 points per game in 3 of the 4 months so far this season, and January is looking like his most productive month yet at 23.3 points per game.
Banchero has scored at least 20 points in 6 of 8 games played, shooting over 50% from the field in 5 of his last 7. So far in his career, he’s faced the Grizzlies a total of 6 times and averages 21.8 points in those games. The last time they met he had 21 points, which was the 4th time he was able to clear this line in head-to-head meetings.
Anthony Black (ORL) 2+ made threes (-146)
Backing Anthony Black to drain a pair of threes has yielded profit in 10 of his last 14 games. I like his chances of adding to that number against the Grizzlies given that they really struggled in that department defensively. Black’s efficiency from downtown has seen an uptick over the past 10 games. For the season, he’s shooting 34.5% from range. However, in his last 10 games, that number has increased to 41.7%.
Memphis allows the 5th-most threes this season, and they also rank 3rd for threes allowed to opposing point guards. Opponents are making 35.7% of their attempts from deep against this team, that’s right in the middle of the pack in the NBA this season. Ja Morant is no longer the player he once was, especially defensively, and that’s something Anthony Black can definitely use to his advantage.
Check out our expert’s NBA best bets for all 9 games today!
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM) 1+ made threes (-400)
Jaren Jackson Jr. is the Grizzlies’ only hope of getting a good result in Thursday’s game in Berlin. This season has seen a continuation of all the good things he was doing last year when it comes to shooting the ball. The 36.1% efficiency from downtown is the 3rd highest of his career, and I’m looking at him to showcase that against the Magic here. He’s drained a pair of threes in 7 of his last 10 games, and for the season that number is at a 57% success rate (21 of 37 games), which is really encouraging here.
We only need him to knock down 1 three for our bet to cash, he’s done so in 3 of the last 6 meetings with the Magic. Franz Wagner is expected to be his primary match-up on the offensive end, and he might be a step slow in his first game following a lengthy layoff due to injury. I expect JJJ to have a really solid scoring game here and keep Memphis in it until the very end.
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