We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Indiana Pacers will host the Orlando Magic. Indiana is 49-31 overall and 29-11 at home, while Orlando is 40-40 overall and 18-21 on the road. The Magic have won two of three matchups this season, and the home team has prevailed in all three meetings. Orlando is sitting many of its regulars, including Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Franz Wagner (knee).
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indiana is favored by 8.5 points in the latest Magic vs. Pacers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 213.5 points. Before entering any Pacers vs. Magic picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters the final week of the 2024-25 NBA regular season on a sizzling 155-115 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 21-10 (68%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Indiana vs. Orlando. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Magic vs. Pacers:
- Pacers vs. Magic spread: Pacers -8.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook
- Pacers vs. Magic over/under: 213.5 points
- Pacers vs. Magic money line: Pacers: -386, Magic: +306
- ORL: The Magic are 40-40 against the spread (ATS) in 2024-25
- IND: The Pacers are 37-42-1 versus the line this season
- Pacers vs. Magic picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Pacers vs. Magic streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Pacers can cover
The Magic will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: the Pacers extended their winning streak to six on Thursday as they skirted past the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-112. Among those leading the charge was Tyrese Haliburton, who dropped a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists. Aaron Nesmith added 22 points, while Jarace Walker came off the bench to contribute 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting.
With Orlando locked into the No. 7 seed and the play-in tournament, it is resting nearly its entire starting lineup. Banchero, Wagner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (knee) and Wendell Carter Jr. (hip) are all sitting. Meanwhile, Indiana has locked home-court advantage in the first round, but it can move from its current 4-seed to the 3-seed, provided what the New York Knicks do in the rest of the regular season. Thus, there is still an incentive for Indiana to play its best, unlike Orlando, and the Pacers have covered in three of their last four matchups versus the Magic. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Magic can cover
Meanwhile, the Magic came tearing into Wednesday’s game with three straight wins, and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Boston Celtics as they made off with a 96-76 win. Cole Anthony had 18 points off the bench, while Orlando’s reserves combined for 47 points, more than doubling up the 22 points that Boston’s bench scored.
Those reserves will be the core of Orlando’s lineup on Friday, but that may not be a bad thing. On the season, Orlando’s bench averages the most blocks (2.7) and fourth-most steals (3.7) of any second-unit. Those strong defensive metrics can slow down Indiana’s high-octane offense, while the Pacers already struggle on the other end of the floor. Just five teams allow a higher field-goal percentage than Indiana, while the Pacers are third-worst in the league in rebounds per game. Additionally, Orlando has won in two of three matchups with the Pacers this season, including their last meeting on Nov. 13. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Pacers vs. Magic picks
The model has simulated Magic vs. Pacers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over the total, projecting 216 combined points, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pacers vs. Magic, and which side of the spread hits in almost 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Magic vs. Pacers spread to back, all from the model that has returned well over $10,000 on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
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