Blake Krass breaks down his prediction and pick for Saturday’s NBA Cup game between the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks take on the Orlando Magic in the semifinals of the NBA Cup on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nevada. This round of NBA Cup games takes place at a neutral site, but it should still be a great atmosphere for this high-profile matchup. The winner will take on either the Thunder or the Spurs in the NBA Cup Final on Dec. 16th.
The Knicks are 4.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook with the total for this game set at 224.5 points. Let’s get into my preview, prediction and pick for this Knicks vs. Magic game.
Knicks vs. Magic prediction, preview
It has been a bright start to the season for the Knicks, who currently sit second in the Eastern Conference. The hiring of Mike Brown was a risk for the Knicks after Tom Thibodeau brought so much regular-season success in recent years, but the team has picked up where it left off last season, despite the coaching change. Jalen Brunson ranks eighth in the league in points per game while also leading the team in assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns ranks second in the NBA in rebounds per game. The Knicks have won eight of their past nine games heading into this matchup and lead the Eastern Conference in net rating this season. They are not an opponent that anybody wants to face at the moment.
The Magic have also started the season strong. They are tied for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference coming into this game. However, the Magic will be without their star forward, Franz Wagner, for this game. Wagner and Paolo Banchero were turning into one of the best young duos in the league, with both averaging over 20 points per game this season. However, Wagner will miss a couple of weeks, meaning Banchero and Desmond Bane need to raise their level of play.
Knicks vs. Magic pick, best bet
My best bet for this NBA Cup semifinal is for the Knicks to cover as 4.5-point favorites. While this isn’t a home game for the Knicks, the Las Vegas crowd will likely favor New York, who have much more of a nationwide fanbase than Orlando does. These teams have already faced off three times this season, with the Magic winning the first two and the Knicks winning the latest one just six days ago. It was during that game that Magic star Franz Wagner suffered the injury that is keeping him out now.
In the first two matchups, Wagner led the Magic in scoring, and the Knicks struggled to stop him. Once Wagner got hurt in the most recent matchup, the Knicks were able to key in on Banchero and play much more defensively sound. Jalen Brunson has scored at least 30 points in all three matchups between the teams, and he should rise to the occasion again and carry his team to the NBA Cup Finals.
Best Bet: New York Knicks -4.5 (-118)