NBA Basketball: Detroit Pistons VS Orlando Magic Pick and Predictions 02/23/2023

Game: 7:10 PM ET,  Thursday, February 23rd, 2023

Venue:  Amway Center, Orlando, Florida

TV:  NBA League Pass

Pistons: 15-44, 13th place Eastern Conference

Magic: 24-35, 15th place Eastern Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread: Magic -6.5, O/U 229.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Magic -6.5, O/U 228

Fanduel: Point Spread:  Magic -7, O/U 228

Pistons: PG Killian Hayes, SG Jaden Ivey, SF Bojan Bogdanovic, PF Isaiah Stewart, C Jalen Duran

Magic: PG Markelle Fultz, SG Gary Harris, SF Franz Wagner, PF Paolo Banchero, C Wendell Carter Jr 

An NBA battle of misfits.  Truly bad Eastern Conference teams will square off on NBA League Pass and draw a very very small audience.  Neither of these teams is playoff bound.. But they both have an Extreme goal for this season… and that goal is to win the NBA Draft Lottery and land a transformational player with the #1 pick.  However if neither team wins they then have different goals… The Pistons will use whatever pick they do land to add to a desolate roster… and they may have to perform a few offseason trades and signings to get better.  The Magic are in a different boat… If they do not get the #1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery… They should TRADE whatever pick they do get… why?  Because their roster is powerfully young and deep at every position.  It is already full of guys trying to learn how to be pros and trying to learn how to win NBA basketball games… several who are reclamation projects from some other teams' failed lottery draft picks in the recent past.  The Magic do not need any other young player outside of French C Victor Wembanyama… anyone else would be an immediate set back if the goal is to get better.  Where would PG Scoot Henderson play?  Behind Markell Fultz?  In front of Jalen Suggs?.. Should he start over both of them? The great betting opportunity here is in knowing just how awful the Detroit Pistons roster is… and figuring out how many points the Magic should be favored by?

The Detroit Pistons contributed No players to the NBA All-Star game during the break.  They did get to watch SG Jaden Ivey find a spot in one of the lesser events… But they are a team without an active NBA All-Star.   They have won only 3 of their last 10 games.. Which is actually good for them this season.  The wins were against other terrible teams like the Spurs, the Hornets, and the Nets when the Nets were imploding from KD hitting the injury list and Kyrie Irving demanding a trade (both players got traded).  They went 5-5 ATS during that stretch.  They lost their last game to the Boston Celtics 127-109… managing to lose ATS when the spread was -11.5 for the Celtics.  In the loss they got 28 points from PF Bojan Bogdanovic and 17 points from SG Jaden Ivey.  That is the problem with the Pistons at the moment… with PG Cade Cunningham on the injury list… those other two guys are the best players in Pistons uniforms… a mid-level player like Bojan and a raw rookie like Jaden.  Neither player would start for any team that has an above .500 record.

The Orlando Magic are basking in the joy of having the likely Rookie of the Year in PF Paolo Banchero.  They may have won last season’s draft. They also have a quadrant of guards and wings that are incrementally improving after being high draft pick disappointments in recent drafts.  They have won 5 of their last 10 games.  They lost their last one to the Toronto Raptors 123-113 as they are still very susceptible to any team that has capable veterans.  They went 5-5 ATS… as they had been favored in ZERO of their last 10.  In the loss to the Raptors the Magic got a quiet game from PF Paolo Banchero with only 13 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists.  But he had help from C Wendell Carter Jr who had 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.  They also got 24 points from PG Jalen Suggs off the bench.  The Magic have a very odd depth on their roster as everyone is young, everyone is talented, and everyone is trying to improve and stay in the league. PG Markell Fultz had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists… and though Markelle will NEVER live up to his selection as the #1 overall pick (as the 76ers gave Boston Jayson Tatum and a future 1st round pick for him)... he has found a shooting ability and is turning into a very productive starting point guard.

AAA Sports is 21-10 in NBA picks the last 30 days for a profit of $10,000!! You should be following a handicapper all season long! Get AAA Sports’ picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. BigAl.com can help you with all your bets from NCAAF, NFL, MLB, NHL… get positive value from all your bets! Remember: winning a bet is way more fun than making a bet!

The Pistons are 25th in scoring with 112.3 points per game, 21st in rebounds with 42.2 per game.  On defense they rank 29th in defense of scoring as they allow 119.9 points per game.  At a solid -7.7 points per game… They have little hope of winning games this season unless it is a fluke win over another terrible team.

The Magic are 28th in scoring with 110.9 points per game, 20th in rebounds with 42.6 per game.  On defense they rank 17th while holding opponents to 113.7.  Their defense is solid for a team of super young players.  Any uptick in scoring would drastically transform this team’s future.

Our prediction for Thursday, February 23rd is…. Magic 123 - Pistons 101

Bet on the Magic.  They are better and deeper than the Pistons and the kids on the magic will come alive as they get to go against the kids on the Pistons.  If Cade Cunningham were not injured this might be different?... But he is and the Pistons will not hurry him back.

Don't miss our champion handicappers' Free NBA Picks and Premium Selections every day here at Bigal.com. Just click on Shop Picks for our Pistons/Magic preview, be sure to bookmark Bigal.com for our daily Game Previews and Predictions.  Get help with all your college football picks, National Football league, NCAA brackets, or any prop bets on your season schedule. 

(will update)

Pistons: SG Jaden Ivey.  Jaden was the #5 pick of the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft.  He is a rookie point guard playing shooting guard.. He was an odd pick since the team had drafted PG Cade Cunningham the year before.  He has been very good for the Pistons while averaging 15.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 4.6 apg.  All though a lot of that production comes from being on a losing team that has 30 minutes a game to give to a rookie.  What happens to this team if this year’s guard heavy draft prospects forces the team to draft yet another guard?

Magic: PG/SG Jalen Suggs.  Jalen was the 5th overall pick in the 2021 draft.  He has not had the immediate success or playing time that Ivey has had. Jalen is averaging 9.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, and 3.4 apg in just 23 minutes a game… His ppg have dropped a couple, while his minutes have dropped a couple, since his rookie season as PG Markelle Fultz has shown improvement and taken the starting job full time.  Jalen is in a very pivotal year… He must show who he is soon before he gets stuck on the bench.  He is on a rookie scale contract that pays him almost 7 million this year.  The team holds options on the next two years making him a perfect trade “throw in” if the team needs to make a move this offseason.

Pistons: Dwayne “when will it end?” Casey

Magic: Jamahl “I hear you brother” Mosley