Oklahoma Faces Magic Post NBA Cup
An exciting cross-conference matchup takes center stage Thursday night as Oklahoma faces Magic. The Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5) visits the Orlando Magic (17-11) tonight at the Kia Center. If you want to win big on the game, check out these basketball betting picks. The Thunder, looking to rebound from their 97-81 defeat to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup Championship Game, face the Magic. The Magic, enduring their own struggles with a two-game losing streak, most recently fell 100-91 to the New York Knicks. Orlando’s challenges are made even harder with the absence of players Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both are currently sidelined with oblique injuries.
Oklahoma Faces Magic: Can the Thunder Win?
The Thunder’s offensive arsenal is spearheaded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His stellar season continues with averages of 30.3 points (third in NBA), 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. The 26-year-old guard has been particularly dominant lately, surpassing 30 points in four of his last five contests. This includes an amazing 32-point, 8-rebound, 6-assist performance against Houston. If you want to open a basketball sportsbook, keep an eye out for players who do as well as Gilgeous-Alexander does, as they can be pretty popular with prop and parlay bets.
Supporting the Thunder’s frontcourt, Isaiah Hartenstein has emerged as a consistent double-double threat, averaging 12.5 points and 12.3 rebounds. He’s already recorded eight double-doubles this season, with his most recent outing yielding 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Is it Orlando Magic’s Game to Lose?
For Orlando, the spotlight shifts to Jalen Suggs, who’s stepped up as a dynamic two-way presence in the backcourt. The Gonzaga product has been on a scoring tear, posting 20+ points in three of his last four games, highlighted by a spectacular 32-point, 9-rebound outburst against Milwaukee. His season averages of 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals underscore his all-around impact.
In the paint, center Goga Bitadze provides crucial interior presence, contributing 8.9 points and 7.7 rebounds while maintaining an impressive 63% shooting efficiency. The 26-year-old has shown his ceiling recently with two double-doubles in his last three games, including a dominant 21-point, 16-rebound, 4-assist performance against Phoenix.
However, the absence of Banchero and Wagner significantly impacts Orlando’s offensive firepower, forcing role players to shoulder heavier responsibilities. This void has influenced oddsmakers, who’ve installed Oklahoma City as 6.5-point favorites for the 7 p.m. ET tipoff. The total points line sits at 210.
What to Expect in Tonight’s Game
This will prove to be a very exciting game, and both sides have the ability to score well. However, Magic has a disadvantage. Even if they play at home, their roster is not complete. And the absence of both Banchero and Wagner poses a risk- it could be the small window that the Thunder might use to win the game.
If you want to win even more from basketball betting, you can always open a sportsbook with the best bookie pay per head software. With the season just heating up, you can create and launch your own sportsbooks in just a short time. You can even get your sportsbook up and running to take in action in tonight’s game.
Become a Bookie with 9DollarPerHead.com and Launch Your Basketball Sportsbook Easily!