Orlando Magic vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 07/11/2024, 23:50  by Joseph King | Modified on 08/11/2024 at 00:19 in NBA Predictions

Friday evening in the Association sees a pair of 3-6 teams face off as the Orlando Magic host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Kia Center. Both teams have struggled with injuries so far which has resulted in underwhelming starts to the season. Let’s get into the match prediction.

The 12th-place Magic come into Friday’s game hoping to put an end to their five-game losing streak. They’ve been unable to cope without star player and leading-scorer Paolo Banchero, who has missed the last four games and is still a few weeks away from a return.

The result is an Orlando team that ranks 28th in the NBA in scoring (105.8) and is shooting a league-low 30.3% from three-point range. In their last appearance, the Magic fell to a 118-111 away defeat to the Pacers, marking their sixth away loss of the season.

It’s been a similar story for the West’s 14th-placed Pelicans who have seen a number of their key players sidelined. CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray will both miss out here while Zion Williamson is questionable.

New Orleans has seen the wheels come off after an encouraging 2-0 start to the year. A 131-122 home loss to the Cavaliers in their last outing means that the Pels have now lost their last three in a row and six of their last seven overall.