Orlando Magic vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The Orlando Magic (30-36) and New Orleans Pelicans (18-48) are all set to square off from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
The Magic have struggled to find a good rhythm recently. They have just won three of their last 10 games. They are eighth in the East and would love to win this game as 3-point favorites.
The Pelicans are coming off a big win against the Clippers but have been pretty bad this season.
The Magic are currently 12-20 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Pelicans have a 5-5 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Magic vs. Pelicans live today
- Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
- Time: 8:00PM EST
- Site: Smoothie King Center
- City: New Orleans, LA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Magic vs. Pelicans
The latest odds as of Thursday:
- Odds: Magic (-121), Pelicans (+101)
- Spread: Magic -1.5
- Over/Under: 217 points
That gives the Magic an implied team point total of 108.91, and the Pelicans 108.13.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s Magic vs. Pelicans game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is backing Cole Anthony over 12.5 points…
Thomas: “Cole had a tough time out against the Rockets. That’s understandable, the Rockets defense is elite. The Pelicans do not pose much of a threat defensively, especially against guards.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Magic & Pelicans game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Orlando Magic on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New Orleans Pelicans at +1.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 217.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Magic vs. Pelicans on Thursday
- The Magic have won 12 of their last 15 games against the Pelicans
- The Over is 19-14 in the Pelicans’ home games this season
- The Magic have covered the Spread in 12 of their last 15 games against the Pelicans
The Magic have won 8 of their last 9 games at the Pelicans
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
