Lakers vs. Magic Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, December 27 (Fade Lakers on Road)
By Peter Dewey
The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a tough loss on Christmas Day to the Dallas Mavericks when they take on the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in Orlando.
Orlando was the home of the Lakers’ bubble championship in the 2019-20 season, but the team has struggled since, failing to win a playoff series in the last two seasons. Now, the Lakers are on the outside looking in of the playoff picture in the Western Conference with Anthony Davis sidelined due to a foot injury.
Orlando, on the other hand, is finally starting to get healthy. The team is still down Jalen Suggs, Chuma Okeke and Jonathan Isaac in this game, but the team is 8-2 in its last 10 games, climbing to a tie with the Washington Wizards for the No. 12 spot in the East.
Rookie Paolo Banchero has been everything as advertised, and now he gets to face off with LeBron James.
This should be an entertaining matchup, but where is the betting value?
I have my best bet and the latest odds for this game below:
Lakers vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total
Lakers vs. Magic Prediction and Pick
The Magic have been playing much better basketball as of late, and I think they’re extremely underrated in this spot with Davis out for the Lakers.
Los Angeles is just 2-6 straight up with Davis out of the lineup this season, and the team is struggling mightily as of late, losing four straight games.
Over the last 10 games, Orlando ranks fifth in the NBA in net rating, playing the No. 7 offense and No. 5 defense in the league. The team has totally flipped the script after a terrible start to the 2022-23 campaign.
The Lakers, meanwhile, rank 25th in the league in net rating over their last 10 games, posting the 27th ranked defense in the NBA over that stretch.
That’s simply not going to get it done, especially since Los Angeles lacks the outside shooting to make major runs this season.
The Lakers are also dreadful as road underdogs, going 3-12 against the spread this season.
Orlando has been favored at home just three times leading up to this game, but I’m willing to lay the point with the Magic given their recent success.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.