ORLANDO vs WASHINGTON
When: 12/26/2020 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -2
PREDICTION: WASHINGTON , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the WASHINGTON listed as -2 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 229.

The Orlando Magic kept the scoreboard operator busy en route to recording a four-game season sweep of the Washington Wizards last season.

After scoring at least 120 points in each matchup last season, the Magic aim to continue their mastery of the Wizards on Saturday when they play the first of two straight games in Washington.

Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon enjoyed sterling shooting performances in the season opener on Wednesday. The duo combined for 45 points on 17-of-24 shooting from the floor in Orlando’s 113-107 win over Miami.

Nikola Vucevic, who collected 15 points and 11 rebounds versus the Heat, turned up the temperature against Washington last season. He scored a season-high 30 points and had 17 rebounds in Orlando’s 125-121 win on Nov. 17 and added 29 points in a 123-89 victory on Jan. 8.

Terrence Ross chipped in 19 points off the bench on Wednesday for the Magic, who relied heavily on those four players last year to secure their second straight playoff appearance.

“I don’t think there is much difference (from last season), and that’s to our benefit,” said Gordon, who made 8 of 11 attempts from the field and finished with 20 points against Miami.

“We have another year of playing together. Another year wiser and another year smarter. … We understand each other’s games.”

Coach Steve Clifford praised the team’s performance in the season opener, but he was quick to note the ability of a Wizards team that he’ll see on consecutive days this weekend.

“Their guards, the Russell Westbrook-Bradley Beal duo, is a tough cover,” Clifford said on Thursday. “They are explosive with (Davis) Bertans being an X-factor with his range. He puts a lot of pressure on your defense.”

Beal erupted for 31 points and Westbrook became the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double in his debut for the Wizards, who dropped a 113-107 decision in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

“The guy is a winning basketball player. He’s a winning teammate,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook, who had 21 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds.

“We have a long history together. Seeing him, what he does — the intensity level is high. Every possession matters. He plays through exhaustion. Our young players, it’s going to be priceless what they’re going to learn from him and how he treats everybody. It’s remarkable. He plays the right way.”

Westbrook didn’t see his performance on Wednesday in the same light, however.

“Not good enough. Honestly, I’m kind of disappointed in myself,” Westbrook said. “I had some mishaps and plays where I could have been better and had a better game to try to win. I don’t like moral victories at any point in my career. I always like to go out and try to win the game. I’ve gotta be better and I’ll be better next game.”

Beal averaged a robust 34.3 points in three games last season versus Orlando, including a 42-point performance in a 127-120 loss on Dec. 3.

The post ORLANDO vs. WASHINGTON 12/26/2020 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

The NFL’s all-star game will be an afternoon match at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. A week later, the league’s championship game will be played a few hours south in the Miami area.

Fans, players and coaches will vote for the 88 Pro Bowlers, and the game will match the AFC against the NFC.

A weeklong celebration in conjunction with the NFL’s 100th season initiatives also will take place across the Orlando area. Those will include a skills showdown and the league’s flag football championships.

—

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

The post NFL Pro Bowl returns to Orlando for 4th straight year appeared first on IdealCapper.

ORLANDO MAGIC vs DALLAS MAVERICKS
When: 8:30 PM  ET, Monday, December 10, 2018
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

TV: 8:35 PM
LINE: -5.5
PREDICTION: DALLAS , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the DALLAS listed as -5.5 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 211.5.

The Dallas Mavericks have long forgotten a 2-7 start to the season and look to continue their surge with a 10th straight home-court victory Monday night when they host the scuffling Orlando Magic. The Mavericks won 11 of their last 15 games to climb into playoff position in the Western Conference after 19-year-old rookie Luka Doncic scored 21 points in Saturday’s 107-104 win over Houston.

Doncic, the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for October/November, scored 11 straight points in the final minutes to turn an eight-point deficit into a lead Saturday and coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of the 6-7 forward, “It’s pretty clear that he’s got a flair for the moment. He’s unafraid. You don’t see that every day.” Dallas, which is 11-2 at home overall, missed the playoffs the last two seasons and will try to continue its run against an Orlando team (6-6 on the road) that dropped six of its last nine games and two in a row. The Magic shot 40.4 percent from the field and turned the ball over 16 times Friday in a 112-90 loss to Indiana at home. “We’re good enough to beat anybody, but we can’t have many more of these nights because we’re not just going to show up and beat people,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “We have to put a lot into it to win, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But there’s got to be a purpose and a commitment to the way we’re playing and an understanding of why we’re good, when we’re not good and a willingness to do the things necessary so we can play well.”

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), FS Southwest (Dallas)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (12-14): Leading scorer and rebounder Nikola Vucevic scored 22 in Friday’s loss before suffering a sprained ankle, but told reporters: “I don’t think it’s anything bad. Hopefully, it won’t keep me out at all.” Vucevic is averaging 24.4 points and 12.1 rebounds over the last seven games and second-leading scorer Aaron Gordon contributed 19.3 points over his past four. Shooting guard Terrence Ross is connecting on 39.9 percent from 3-point range overall and has averaged 17 points per contest in his past four outings.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (13-11): Doncic leads the team in scoring (18.2) and center DeAndre Jordan sits second in the NBA in rebounding (13.8) after hauling in 20 on Saturday – the third time in nine games he reached that figure. Rookie guard Jalen Brunson got more playing time the last two games with Dennis Smith Jr. (13.5 points per contest) out with a wrist injury and took advantage by averaging 12.2 points on 12-of-18 from the field. Future Hall of Fame forward Dirk Nowitzki is closing in on his season debut after recovering from offseason ankle surgery, but he is not expected to play Monday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Orlando F Jonathon Simmons is 5-of-22 from the field in the last four games, averaging 2.8 points in that span.

2. Dallas PF Max Kleber (6.5 points) could miss his second straight contests with a sprained toe.

3. The past three season series were split and the home team won the last seven meetings.

PREDICTION: Magic 112, Mavericks 106

The post ORLANDO vs DALLAS 12/10/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

INDIANA PACERS vs ORLANDO MAGIC
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Friday, December 7, 2018
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -2
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , INDIANA

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as -2 point favorites versus the INDIANA, while the game’s total is sitting at 206.5.

The Indiana Pacers are keeping their heads above water while they wait out Victor Oladipo’s knee injury, even if it doesn’t always look good. They will try to look the part and pick up a second straight win when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Darren Collison led four players in double figures with 23 points as Indiana survived 18 turnovers and a 43-point first half in a 96-90 win over Chicago at home Tuesday night. “It was a pretty murky, muddy kind of game,” center Myles Turner told reporters after his team improved to 4-4 since Oladipo was sidelined. “It wasn’t a pretty win, but wins are hard to come by in this league and we got it done.” The Magic returned from a solid 3-3 road trip to take the streaking Denver Nuggets to overtime before falling 124-117 on Wednesday. Orlando hit a season-high 20 3-pointers — six by Evan Fournier — while dipping to 6-7 at home.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE PACERS (14-10): Turner finished Tuesday’s win with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots while Domantas Sabonis fell a point shy of an 11th double-double. Tyreke Evans has started all eight games in place of Oladipo but has struggled at times, scoring 9.4 points on 31.3 percent shooting in that role after producing 11.2 on 40 percent in 15 games off the bench. “He’s had some turnovers, some missed shots lately, (but) we’re not going to go away from him,” coach Nate McMillan told the media of Evans. “Off the bench, he was doing some good things for us. Hopefully he’ll find his rhythm and start knocking down some of those shots.”

ABOUT THE MAGIC (12-13): Fournier finished with 26 points in a solid return home after a difficult road trip in which he shot 33.8 percent and recorded four single-digit scoring efforts. He took four of his team’s season-low eight free throws while fouling out and then receiving a second technical, part of a frustrating night for a team that feels it deserves more respect. “It’s terrible, man, and that’s why it’s frustrating,” Fournier told reporters after the Nuggets attempted 37 free throws. “We’re a team that never complains and we never get the calls. Then we start to say something and then we get the technicals. What is that?”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Indiana has won seven straight meetings overall between the two teams and also seven in a row at Orlando.

2. Magic C Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 15 rebounds against Denver while making at least 50 percent of his shots for the 11th straight time.

3. Collison is averaging 12.4 points, 8.2 assists and three steals over his last five games and is 5-for-7 from 3-point range over the last two.

PREDICTION: Magic 106, Pacers 101

The post INDIANA vs ORLANDO 12/7/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

ORLANDO MAGIC vs WASHINGTON WIZARDS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 12, 2018
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, District of Columbia

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: WASHINGTON , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the WASHINGTON listed as 6 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Washington Wizards have a chance to post consecutive wins for the first time this season when they begin a five-game homestand Monday against the Orlando Magic. The Wizards lost by at least 19 points the first two times they had a chance to record a second straight victory but are feeling a bit better about themselves this time around.

“It was probably one of our best games, how we played,” Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters after Saturday’s 116-110 win at Miami. “We played a physical brand, we fought for one another and I thought we made timely passes and shots.” John Wall led the way with 28 points and nine assists while both Dwight Howard and Jeff Green recorded double-doubles for Washington, which had its best offensive output since Oct. 24. The victory allowed the Wizards to move on from a 117-108 loss at Orlando the night before. Nikola Vucevic registered 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Magic to that win and duplicated those numbers in Sunday’s 115-89 road triumph over New York.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), NBCS Washington

ABOUT THE MAGIC (6-7): Orlando had no issues getting by the Knicks despite being without forward Aaron Gordon, who sat due to an ankle injury. Rookie Mo Bamba helped pick up some of the slack with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in 18 minutes off the bench. Bamba has scored 30 points over 35 minutes in Orlando’s back-to-back victories.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (3-9): Perhaps the best development in Saturday’s game – aside from a rare victory – was the emergence of reserve guard Austin Rivers, who produced a season-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. “You work hard all summer, throughout the season, to prepare yourself for those type of moments,” Wall told reporters of Rivers. “Austin got into a great rhythm.” Green is providing some nice support off the bench as well, as he is 15-for-21 from the floor over his last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Howard is averaging 11.3 rebounds over his last four games after grabbing just three on Nov. 2 in his season debut against Oklahoma City.

2. Magic SG Terrence Ross scored a season-high 22 points off the bench Sunday.

3. Washington has won three straight home meetings with Orlando.

PREDICTION: Wizards 113, Magic 106

The post ORLANDO vs WASHINGTON 11/12/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

ORLANDO MAGIC vs NEW YORK KNICKS
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Sunday, November 11, 2018
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York

TV: 7:35 PM
LINE: -1.5
PREDICTION: NEW YORK , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the NEW YORK listed as -1.5 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 209.5.

The Orlando Magic are trying to move up in the Eastern Conference this season, and the team’s veteran leadership believes they can make it happen. The Magic will try to follow up one impressive win with another when they visit the New York Knicks on Sunday.

Orlando picked up its third win in the last four games with a 117-108 triumph at home over the Washington Wizards on Friday as 31-year-old point guard D.J. Augustin stepped up with a series of key plays down the stretch. “We know our ultimate goal is to make it to the playoffs this year,” Augustin told reporters. “We started off slow and everybody was saying, ‘What’s up with us?’ But it’s a long season. We know that inside this group and the coaches know that and we’re just working hard every day.” The Knicks are missing that sort of stable veteran hand to guide the team at the end of games and dropped three of its last four. New York had three rookies and two second-year players in the rotation on Saturday during a 128-112 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (5-7): Orlando’s reserves took some shots from coach Steve Clifford after combining for 20 points – 15 from Terrence Ross – in a 103-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, and the bench responded on Friday. Ross proved steady once again with 12 points and seven rebounds, but the big changes came from rookie center Mo Bamba and point guard Jerian Grant, who combined for two points on 1-of-4 shooting against the Pistons. Bamba scored a season-high 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting against the Wizards while Grant went 5-of-5 from the floor en route to 13 points in 23 minutes.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (4-9): First-year coach David Fizdale is trying to mold his young roster into a winning team and was happy with the effort against a top-notch team like Toronto. “It’s good for us,” Fizdale told reporters. “This is a good lesson for us going up against the No. 1 team in the East on their turf. I thought we really competed hard. But we didn’t do the things necessary to beat a good team on the road.” Shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., 26, continues to lead the team in scoring and poured in 27 points on Saturday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks C Enes Kanter recorded his fourth consecutive double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds on Saturday.

2. Magic PF Aaron Gordon is averaging 21 points in the last four games.

3. The visiting team took the last three in the series, with Orlando earning a 97-73 victory at New York in the most recent meeting on April 3.

PREDICTION: Magic 117, Knicks 112

The post ORLANDO vs NEW YORK 11/11/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

DETROIT PISTONS vs ORLANDO MAGIC
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as 1 point favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 211.5.

The Detroit Pistons just can’t seem to snap out of a slide that has seen them drop five straight after four wins to begin the campaign. The Pistons will hope for better luck when they hit the road to visit the Orlando Magic in the opener of a two-game trip on Wednesday.

Detroit took two of its last three opponents to overtime but could not find a way to make the winning shot, and first-year coach Dwane Casey sees it as part of the learning process. “It is on us to continue to improve, to put ourselves in the playoff hunt, which we are going to be, and get better,” Casey told reporters. “I see improvement, I know it’s not showing in the record, but I do see improvement. I see the little things that we are getting better at, but there are some other things we got to continue to harp on, especially the turnovers and the shot making when the ball does come out.” The Magic come into Wednesday’s meeting with all the momentum after posting back-to-back wins, including a 102-100 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday that ended when Evan Fournier’s jumper splashed through at the buzzer. “It’s huge to build momentum so that we can really believe in ourselves and believe we can beat anyone, because we can,” Fournier said. “But the more we do it, the more we gain confidence. Now, we have two tough games coming up against two tough teams, so it’s going to be another good test for us.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE PISTONS (4-5): Detroit moved Glenn Robinson III into the starting lineup to provide more floor spacing with an extra shooter, and he finished with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Robinson had the ball in his hands with a chance to give the Pistons the lead late in overtime and star forward Blake Griffin fouled out but came up just short on a 3-point attempt. “I’ll take Glenn Robinson’s look right there at the end to put us up, any time of the day,” Casey told reporters. “You can call 15 timeouts in that situation, I just looked at it, he was wide open, he was 2-for-3 at the time. So, would have, could have, should have, we got our situation now where we have to continue to fight, continue to stay together because that’s what this league is going to be about the rest of this year.”

ABOUT THE MAGIC (4-6): Orlando earned a 117-110 win in San Antonio on Sunday night and wanted to prove something to itself by taking both ends of the back-to-back. “We were conscious that when you’ve won a game like that in San Antonio and losing a game like this (on Monday), it wouldn’t have really meant anything,” Magic swingman Terrence Ross told the team’s website. “(Losing on Monday) would have taken away all of that confidence that we had just gotten. We were just focused on trying to play the right way and we were able to get a win.” Playing the right way included another solid effort from power forward Aaron Gordon, who averaged 24.5 points while going 20-of-35 from the floor in the two victories.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pistons C Andre Drummond collected 25 points and 24 rebounds on Monday – his fourth 20-20 game of the season.

2. Magic PF Jonathan Isaac (ankle) missed the last two games and is day-to-day.

3. Orlando took five of the last six in the series.

PREDICTION: Magic 109, Pistons 105

The post DETROIT vs ORLANDO 11/7/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS vs ORLANDO MAGIC
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Monday, November 5, 2018
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -4.5
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , CLEVELAND

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as -4.5 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.5.

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be finding it difficult to focus on basketball with all the turmoil surrounding the team. They will try to stick to matters at hand when they visit the Orlando Magic on Monday for the finale of a two-game road trip.

The trip began with an ugly 126-94 loss at Charlotte on Saturday, the team’s second straight blowout loss amid testy contract negotiations with acting coach Larry Drew, trade requests, foot surgery for star forward Kevin Love and a slew of lineup changes that have yet to pay dividends. “I haven’t been on the job long, so I still have some time to try and find it but I’m very happy with our squad,” Drew told reporters after the loss to the Hornets. “I think we’ve got a good group. I think we just gotta get it out of them.” The Magic will be playing the second half of a back-to-back but the first half was an excellent one, as they snapped a four-game losing streak with a surprising 117-110 win at San Antonio. Aaron Gordon broke out of a slump with 26 points as Orlando had its best offensive output of the season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (1-8): Not long after indicating he would like to be traded, veteran J.R. Smith led Cleveland with 14 points in the loss the Hornets. He and Kyle Korver combined to make 7-of-11 from 3-point range while the rest of the team went 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. Rookie Collin Sexton had scored at least 12 points in five straight games before being held to a season low-tying four points on 1-of-5 shooting.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (3-6): Gordon averaged just over 10 points while shooting 34.3 percent in his previous three games before carrying the load against the Spurs. “I was just taking what they were giving me,” he told FS Florida in a postgame interview. “When coach calls my number I’ve got to be ready. I gotta continue to do that. Make shots.” Rookie center Mo Bamba recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds Sunday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Smith needs two 3-pointers to move past Daniel Gibson (578) and into fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list.

2. Magic SG Evan Fournier has three steals in each of his last two games after recording a total of three through his first seven contests.

3. The teams split four meetings last season, with Orlando taking the final meeting 116-98 at home.

PREDICTION: Magic 107, Cavaliers 99

The post CLEVELAND vs ORLANDO 11/5/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

ORLANDO MAGIC vs SAN ANTONIO SPURS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, November 4, 2018
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -8
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , ORLANDO

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as -8 point favorites versus the ORLANDO, while the game’s total is sitting at 206.

The San Antonio Spurs have spent the past week beating up on teams at the bottom of the Western Conference, and they get a crack at one of the East’s lesser squads when they host the Orlando Magic on Sunday. The Spurs won three straight against teams that entered Saturday with a combined record of 6-19 and then pushed the streak to four in a row while sending New Orleans to its fifth straight loss.

DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 22, 12 rebounds and six assists in the 109-95 win for San Antonio, which improved to 4-1 at home. “We competed,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “We’re still trying to figure each other out and a lot of guys trying to figure out the system, but the competitiveness is really good, and that covers a lot of things.” The Magic will be trying to snap a four-game losing streak that has featured some difficult defensive efforts, the latest of which prompted a bit of a tongue-lashing from coach Steve Clifford. “Difficult, difficult night,” he told reporters after Friday’s 120-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. “Effort level, body language, purpose of play. That was not even close to being acceptable, not for a professional basketball team. This is really disappointing.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Orlando), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE MAGIC (2-6): Clifford is eight games into his tenure in Orlando but already wondering what he got himself into, as his team ranks last in the NBA in scoring (99.9 points) and shooting percentage (41.4). “We have the wrong, wrong attitude,” he said Friday. “There have been some tough times here and we have some guys who have been through that, but we have to have great attitude, great fight and great readiness, and we had none of that tonight. Maybe this is going to be harder to do than I thought.” Forward Aaron Gordon was one player on which Clifford likely thought he could count, but the fifth-year pro is averaging 10.3 points on 34.3 percent shooting over his last three games.

ABOUT THE SPURS (6-2): After a three-game stretch during which he shot 35.3 percent, Aldridge has made 21-of-34 shots over his last two contests. DeRozan has scored at least 25 points in seven of the team’s first eight contests, making him the first San Antonio player to do so since George Gervin 40 years ago. Dante Cunningham produced a total of 20 points through his first seven games before breaking out for 15 in the win over the Pelicans.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Spurs G Patty Mills is 9-for-14 from 3-point range over his last four games.

2. Magic C Nikola Vucevic recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds against the Clippers for his fifth double-double in six conests.

3. The teams split two meetings last season, with the home team winning by an average of 31.5 points.

PREDICTION: Spurs 107, Magic 97

The post ORLANDO vs SAN ANTONIO 11/4/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

LA CLIPPERS vs ORLANDO MAGIC
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 2, 2018
Where: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: ORLANDO , LA CLIPPERS

Oddsmakers currently have the ORLANDO listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the LA CLIPPERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 216.5.

The Los Angeles Clippers seek to record their 10th consecutive victory in the all-time series when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday in the finale of their three-game road trip. Orlando hasn’t prevailed against the Clippers since recording a 98-90 triumph on Nov. 6, 2013.

The Magic have dropped three straight games, including a 107-99 home decision to Sacramento on Tuesday. Orlando is last in the NBA in scoring at 100.6 points per game and has failed to reach the century mark on four occasions. Los Angeles allowed an average of 125 points while dropping the first two games of its trek, including a 122-113 loss to Philadelphia on Thursday in which it had no answers on how to defend Joel Embiid (41 points, 13 rebounds). The offense also disappeared down the stretch, going more than six minutes without a field goal to hinder the efforts of nabbing a road victory.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), FS Florida (Orlando)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (4-4): Shooting guard Lou Williams showed off the form that won him last season’s Sixth Man of the Year Award by scoring a season-best 26 points in the loss to the 76ers. “When Lou gets it going, he’s hard to stop,” coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the loss. “He has the ability offensively to carry you, but at some point, somebody has to step up with him.” Forwards Danilo Gallinari (25 points) and Tobias Harris (24) also fared well, but starting guards Patrick Beverley (four points on 1-of-7 shooting) and Avery Bradley (two on 1-of-6 shooting) had poor outings.

ABOUT THE MAGIC (2-5): Shooting guard Evan Fournier has been a major disappointment early this season, connecting on just 37.4 percent of his shots while making more than 40 percent of his attempts just once. Fournier is averaging 15.1 points, but the mark would be lower if not for a stellar 31-point performance against the 76ers on Oct. 20. “I’m playing terrible for this team. I’m a big-minutes guy, and I can’t play like that, period,” Fournier told reporters. “We need everybody on this team, and I’m just not playing well enough for this team, and I think it’s a big reason why we keep losing these games. I know if I play the way I can, we’d be winning right now.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Clippers have won by an average of 13.4 points during their nine-game streak against the Magic.

2. Los Angeles PF Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) likely will miss his fifth straight game.

3. Orlando backup SF Jonathon Simmons is 10-of-39 shooting over his last four contests.

PREDICTION: Clippers 105, Magic 101

The post LA CLIPPERS vs ORLANDO 11/2/2018 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.