Brooklyn Nets v Orlando Magic Betting Tips [31 July 2020]

The COVID-19 pandemic flipped the sporting world upside down causing major organisations to postpone events including the NBA. The play-offs were in sight and due to start on April 18 but then came the suspension of the season on March 11 and a solution was to be found. There will now be a 22-team tournament to decide the NBA Champions. The sides will have complete the regular season with eight more fixtures. Those results will determine the 16 sides who head into the play-offs, where ties will be decided over the regular best-of-seven matches format. The matches will be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex which is in Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. This replaces the home and away games usually played.

Brooklyn Nets of the Atlantic division of the Eastern Conference will resume their season against Orlando Magic of the Southeast division in the same conference with both franchises aiming to extend their three-game winning run that they strung together back in March. The Nets enter the restart with an overall record of 30 wins and 34 losses but Jacque Vaughn is missing several key players including Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant so face a stern test if they are to maintain their position of 7th in the Eastern Conference., a place that currently takes them into postseason. Both teams have 30 wins but the Nets have accumulated those victories in one game fewer (64) so do have a slightly better win percentage (0.469) than their opponents (0.462). The Nets have won each of their last three games outside of New York so will be glad they are playing in the Sunshine state and a win would potentially guarantee their position in the play-offs. 

As for the Magic they return to action with a record of 30 wins and 35 defeats and are in the eighth and final qualifying position. A win for them would see them trade places with the Nets and Steve Clifford’s team would move to 7th in the Eastern Conference with their opposite number dropping to 8th. Washington Wizards are the side immediately outside the play-off places but they have won six games fewer than either of these sides so a win for Orlando would tighten their grip on a play-off spot. Orlando perhaps have the advantage of playing in their hometown but an inconsistent record of 16 wins and 15 losses shows that it might not be too telling a factor.  

It will be interesting to see which teams settle in unfamiliar surroundings and how quickly as well but for me a depleted Nets side will come up short against Orlando and I’m tipping a Magic win with a –6.5 spread which means they must win by seven points or more in the game.