Pelicans vs Magic Odds, Spread & Picks (Jan. 20)

• The Pelicans visit the Magic on Friday
• Both teams are on two-game losing streaks
• Read below for the odds and Pelicans vs Magic prediction

The slumping New Orleans Pelicans (26-19, 9-13 away) are in Florida on Friday for a matchup with Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic (16-28, 10-12 home) at the Amway Center. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET. Find the Pelicans vs Magic prediction below.

The Pels are just 3-7 in their last 10 games and were annihilated by the Miami Heat on Wednesday by a score of 124-98. Orlando meanwhile also lost last time out to the Denver Nuggets, but put up a solid fight, only falling short by three points. Both squads are looking to end two-game skids.

Pelicans vs Magic Odds

Odds as of January 19th at FanDuel. Claim this week’s FanDuel Sportsbook promo code. 

There is really no clear favorite which is slightly surprising considering the difference in records. The Pelicans have -112 moneyline odds, while the Magic sit at -104.

Last season, each team won one game apiece, with New Orleans coming out victorious on this same court in March of 2022.

Pels Missing Zion

It’s crystal clear that Willie Green’s squad is desperately missing franchise star Zion Williamson, who continues to be sidelined with a hamstring injury. Since he went on the shelf, the Pels are just 3-6. That includes lopsided losses to the Celtics, Mavericks, and the Heat, the worst one of all.

NOLA came out flat right from the tip and could never really find their footing. They gave up 70 first-half points and truly struggled on both ends. CJ McCollum’s 21 points were about the only bright spot, but that wasn’t nearly enough from the guard either, especially with no Zion and Brandon Ingram. The next best scorer happened to be Jonas Valanciunas with 18.

Headed to the Sunshine State ☀️ pic.twitter.com/n6ng2vr0fu

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 19, 2023

Turnovers in particular killed New Orleans here, coughing it up 18 times. That translated into 24 points for the Heat, who embarrassed one of the better teams in the West. The Pels need a bounce-back performance here and that means McCollum and Valanciunas in particular must lead by example. The supporting cast has to be better as well. Far too little production from them lately.

Magic Better Than Expected

Alright, let’s be honest. Basically, everyone believed Orlando would be a lot worse than 16-28. They’re actually just 4.5 games out of the final play-in spot right now. You can thank Banchero for that, who is having a monster first season in the Association, leading the race in the Rookie of the Year odds by a longshot at -715.

The former Duke stud is averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 43% from the field. He’s doing a little bit of everything. Banchero proved to be important in the Nuggets loss as well, pouring in 18 points. The Magic were neck in neck with Nikola Jokic and Co. for the entire contest until the reigning two-time MVP drained a go-ahead triple with just 1.2 seconds left.

🅿️aolo 🅿️ower@Pp_doesit pic.twitter.com/8SRyvqbB8A

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 14, 2023

While the game didn’t end how the Magic would’ve liked, it showed Orlando is capable of competing with the best. That should give them some confidence for this Pelicans affair.

Pelicans vs Magic Prediction

I see this being a close matchup, but the Pelicans should come out on top. That blowout loss against Miami will be a wake-up call.

Pick: Pelicans moneyline (-112)