Magic vs Pistons Predictions, Expert Picks & Splits (Game 2)

• Detroit is an 8.5-point favorite in Game 2 versus Orlando tonight
• The Pistons haven’t won a home playoff game since 2008
• See the Magic vs Pistons predictions, expert picks and splits for Game 2, below

The Eastern Conference First Round continues tonight as the Orlando Magic look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Detroit Pistons. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM ET from Little Caesars Arena, in Detroit, MI, with ESPN handling broadcast duties across the USA, and TSN providing coverage for Canadian viewers.

After dropping Game 1 despite a spectacular scoring eruption from star guard Cade Cunningham, the Pistons find themselves in a desperate position to even the score. Online sportsbooks like their chances, pegging Detroit as 8.5-point favorites in the NBA odds. Coincidentally, that’s the exact same spread as Game 1 of this series, and Orlando’s thorough beat down of the East’s top seed did nothing to sway the market.

I believe that’s a mistake, and will be targeting Paolo Banchero and Co. in my Magic vs Pistons predictions. Keep reading to find out why, plus see my expert picks, along with the latest odds and betting splits.

Magic vs Pistons Predictions

• Orlando Magic +8.5 (-105 at DraftKings)

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While the market expects the home team to win outright, trusting them to cover a large 8.5-point spread is a tough ask. The Pistons’ offense has essentially fallen off a cliff in this format; they are just 1-4 against the spread in the playoffs over their last 5 games. Home court has been anything but an advantage to Detroit during recent postseason runs, as they’ve lost 11 straight playoff games at home, last winning in Detroit all the way back in 2008.

Conversely, the Magic are a stellar 5-1 ATS after a win over their last 6 games, and an impressive 4-1 ATS against top-10 scoring defenses.

Banchero and the Magic flexed their offensive muscles in the series opener, proving they are a dangerous team to bet against as this postseason clash progresses.

In Game 1, the Magic absolutely bullied their way inside, winning the paint battle 54-34 and controlling the glass 45-39. Those are usually areas where Detroit excels, so watching the tides get turned on them was shocking.

The biggest knock to the Pistons NBA Championship odds case heading into the playoffs was secondary scoring and that issue was at the forefront of Sunday’s loss. Yes, Cunningham exploded for 39 points, but the rest of his teammates disappeared. Number 2 scorer Jalen Duren produced only 8 points in 33 minutes, and was benched during crunch time.

Tobias Harris meanwhile, shot 33% from the floor, while the team missed 22 of their 32 attempts from beyond the arc. At the other end, Orlando was incredibly efficient making 49% of their shots, and quite honestly looked like the better team.

I’m not ready to bet the Magic to pull off the upset again, but seeing Detroit lay 8.5 points in this scenario is outrageous. The line should be priced much closer to -4.5 to -5.5, so I’ll gladly take the 3 free points of value.

Magic vs Pistons Expert Picks

• Under 218.5 (-110 at Bet365)

Moving over to the total of 218.5, where recent trends heavily favor a grinding, lower-scoring defensive battle. The under has cashed in 4 of the Magic’s last 5 road games. Similarly, the under is 3-1 in the Pistons’ last 4 games against opponents with a winning record. The under has hit in three of the past four meetings between these two clubs, and I expect another low scoring game tonight.

Magic vs Pistons Odds

As for the best Magic vs Pistons odds, if we’re talking spread make sure you visit DraftKings. They have the best price on Detroit +8.5 at -105, beating the rest of the market by 5 cents.

Total-wise, Bet365 is the shop to bet the under at. They’re offering under 218.5 points at -110 odds, which is the lowest price in market.

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Magic vs Pistons Splits

Moving over to the NBA public betting splits, where 72.2% of the money is on +8.5 with the road underdog. The public is blindly hammering the over, accounting for 90.4% of the tickets and 89.1% of the money. That makes my under 218.5 wager extremely contrarian, which means sportsbooks like myself will be rooting for a defensive battle.