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Posts Tagged ‘Orlando Magic’

April 21st, 2011 By Louie - Cappersinfo Admin

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NBA Matchup: Orlando Magic @ Atlanta Hawks
Game Date/Time: Friday, April 22, 2011 @ 8:05 ET
Location: Philips Arena – Atlanta, Georgia
NBA Odds: Orlando -1.5
Over/Under Odds: 181

Game Analysis: Of all the picks I have made so far for the playoffs this one is the strongest of them all. I loved Atlanta in game one and not only picked them to cover the spread but to win the game outright which they did. Orlando bounced back in game two but still failed to cover winning 88-82 laying 9 points. This year’s Orlando team is not even close to a shadow of their past playoff teams. In this series the only real scoring threat for Orlando has been Dwight Howard, and Atlanta has done an excellent job on defending his supporting cast. If Orlando doesn’t start to find some offense elsewhere they are in for big trouble in this series. The crowd should be in rare form tonight considering the fans certainly didn’t forget last year’s disappointment and the severe beating the Hawks got at home against Orlando in the conference semi-finals. Revenge is usually not a factor in the NBA, but I can see it in the Hawks play that they were completely embarrassed last year and made a commitment this year to revenge that loss. Orlando is the perfect team to face in this situation having made late season moves that are questionable at best and not playing nearly as well this year as they have in the past few years. Dwight Howard did all he can do in the first two games and the Magic were really lucky to gain a split at home If you ask me Orlando’s run of dominance in the early rounds of the Eastern Conference Playoffs will come to an abrupt end this year at the hands of Atlanta. A win in Game three is a very important step for the Hawks to take to exercise last year’s demons and regain respectability.

Free NBA Playoff Pick: Atlanta +1.5

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April 15th, 2011 By Andy "The Raven" Frank (Cappersinfo Contributor)

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The NBA Playoffs start Saturday and we here at Cappersinfo want to keep you supplied with the best in NBA handicapping along with some winning free NBA playoff picks and other selections everyday.  Four playoff series start Saturday and another four more start Sunday as the NBA Playoffs kick into gear.  Here are two free picks are for Saturday from Andy “The Raven” Frank.

Matchup: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls
Date: Saturday, April 16th, 1:05 ET
Location: The United Center- Chicago, Illinois
NBA Odds: Chicago -11.5
Over/Under Odds: 188.5

Game Analysis: This is the first game of the Chicago-Indiana series and an important measuring stick of what we can expect from the Bulls in the playoffs.  Defense has gotten them to the number one seed which is a place no one really expected the Bulls to be even considered for in the East.  On the season they allowed just 91.3 PPG, and only 89.8 PPG at home.  Furthermore in division games not only were they 15-1 but they allowed just 86.3 PPG.  Down the stretch in their last 14 games they allowed just one 100 point game.  It is clear that team defense that has carried the Bulls to this point.  They won 3 of 4 meetings with the Pacers earlier this year and I expect game 1 of the series to be a similar to how the regular season has gone this year for the Bulls.  They will control tempo and play their brand of basketball which has worked very well for them.  The Pacers do not like to play a slow tempo game and would prefer to score as many points in the transition game as possible.  That won’t available much due to that being the Bulls strong suit keeping teams from getting out in the transition.  They rebound extremely well and should have no trouble controlling the pace in game 1.  The Pacers often are frustrated when forced to play in a half court tempo game and should find out Saturday afternoon why the team defense the Bulls play make them a threat to win it all.  I am not looking to lay as many points as Chicago is favored by as it seems to be too many.  However I am very interested in the total in this game which is set at 188.5.  I like a play on under 188.5 in this game with the Bulls winning fairly comfortably.

Free NBA Playoff Pick: UNDER 188.5

Matchup: Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
Date: Saturday, April 16th, 7:05 ET
Location: The Amway Center- Orlando, Florida
NBA Odds : Orlando -8.5
Over/Under Odds: 179.5

Game Analysis: This is a rematch from last year’s conference semi-finals.  That series last year was historic, Orlando destroyed Atlanta in their four game sweep by more points then any other playoff team in NBA history had ever been beaten by.  The 101 point differential in a four game sweep last year was not only an NBA record but cost Hawks former coach Mike Woodson his job.  This year the same two teams meet in round one of the playoffs, however I don’t think we will be seeing the kind of dominance Orlando showed over Atlanta last year.  In fact this year Atlanta comes into the game holding a 3-1 advantage in head to head meetings.  Atlanta has won the last three times they have played even winning in Orlando by 6.  The Hawks will find it hard to get away from questions about last year and what happened in the series with Orlando.  The fact is this is a different year and completely different circumstances lead both teams to this point.  Orlando is not in a position of strength this year and has to face a revenge minded Hawks team who won’t forget the beating they received last year.  Atlanta has to placing a lot of importance on game 1 and feeling as if they can’t afford to get behind again against this Magic team.  The line is a very fair 8.5 points, and I really like the Hawks to get the money with the points.  I would not be surprised at all if Atlanta won the game outright.  Rarely in the NBA is revenge a factor, however for Atlanta losing in the semis last year by historic proportions has to be more then enough motivation to not only keep game 1 close but to keep this entire series close.  Take the points in game 1.

Free NBA Playoff Pick: ATLANTA +8.5

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March 2nd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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If it’s a Thursday night, that means that it’s time for NBA betting action once again! This week, in the final two duels before the NBA Trade Deadline, we make our free basketball picks on the clashes between the Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz.

NBA Matchup: Orlando Magic @ Miami Heat
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 8:00 ET
Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
NBA Odds: Miami -5
Over/Under (Total): 198


The “heat” will definitely be on in South Beach on Thursday night between these two Sunshine State rivals. The Magic have clawed back to within 4.5 games of the lead in the Southeast Division, but when push comes to shove, this is the game that absolutely has to be won to keep the pressure on Miami. Dwight Howard is coming off of yet another fantastic game against the New York Knicks in which he scored 30 points and had 16 boards with five blocks. The key though, is the play of Jameer Nelson. Nelson might only be averaging 12.6 points per game this season, but he did go off for 26 against New York in a crucial role. Miami is coming off of a loss to said Knicks, but it is fairly clear that this is a team that isn’t going to be getting beaten all that often, especially on its home court. The Heat should be debuting Mike Bibby in this one, as he has been signed after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards earlier this week. Orlando really got crushed earlier this season in South Beach, getting knocked off 96-70 right at the start of the year. The Magic did end up scoring a big time win at the Amway Center in November, but the most recent meeting back at Mickey Mouse’s house resulted in a win for LeBron James and company. LBJ and Dwyane Wade really cannot be stopped in games like this, while Chris Bosh has always had a great career against Howard and company. Orlando might be 13-6-1 ATS in the last 20 meetings in this series, but the Heat are definitely the key to beating the NBA odds on Thursday. NBA Free Pick: Miami Heat -5

NBA Matchup: Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz
Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 10:30 ET
Location: Energy Solutions Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
NBA Odds: Utah -3.5
Over/Under (Total): 210


Both the Jazz and Nuggets made big time deals at the trade deadline, but neither one of these teams have their former superstars. Utah no longer has Deron Williams, while Denver is still trying to figure out how to live life without Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The thing about the Nuggs though, is that they really do have a deep team still with a ton of talent. In a 100-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks was really a great example of this. Wilson Chandler, Nene, Kenyon Martin, Raymond Felton, and JR Smith all put up at least 13 points, while three others had at least six points. Not bad for a team that didn’t really use Al Harrington all that much and still has yet to debut Timofey Mozgov. The Jazz really haven’t figured out how to get back in the saddle without Williams, most likely because the guard situation is really in bad shape without Williams. The team’s defense has totally gone down the drain over the course of these last two games, allowing 107 to the Boston Celtics and a whopping 120 to the Detroit Pistons. If this is going to be the situation in this one on Thursday night, the Jazz are going to be singing the blues. We’re really not all that sure that it’s justified, especially since there is still some payback for the Nuggets to pick up after losing 113-106 at home just a month ago. Free NBA Pick: Denver Nuggets +3.5

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May 28th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Orlando Magic really took the game to Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, and the end result was the most dominant game that the team has had in the Eastern Conference Finals. C Dwight Howard was at the center of it all. Most notable was his inadvertent elbow that caught F Glen Davis in the cheek. Howard wasn't just being physical for the heck of it, either. He finished Game 5 with 21 points and ten rebounds to help lead the way for Orlando.

Davis suffered a concussion and lost a tooth for his efforts in the paint. He wasn't nearly the only casualty, though. F Rasheed Wallace now has an aching back in spite of the fact that he scored 21 points on the day. C Kendrick Perkins became visibly frustrated with how the game was going, and he was 'T'd up twice and thrown out of the game after playing just 17 minutes. The NBA rescinded one of the technical fouls that was handed down to Perkins on Thursday, which becomes notable because the second technical marked his seventh of the playoffs. The seventh 'T' calls for an automatic suspension for one game. Rest assured that the Magic are going to try their best to goad Perkins into yet another technical foul in Game 6, which would see him be suspended for either Game 7 at Amway Arena or Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Magic are three point underdogs on Friday night in Game 6, which is a far cry from the seven point underdogs that they were just four nights ago in Game 4. Should they win the game, Boston would be facing the prospects of becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead after 93 successful attempts. Going into last season, the Celtics had never lost a Game 7 on their home floor in franchise history. This year, rather than just making team history, they can make history that will shake the entire league.

The Magic are still +220 underdogs to win this series, but they have a lot of betting trends on their side. They know that the underdog and the road team in this series is now 8-2 SU and ATS in the L/10 clashes. The road team is 3-2 SU and ATS against the Eastern Conference Finals odds.

NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics Game 6

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+3
-3
189
Diamond Sportsbook
+3
-3
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+3
-3
189

 

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May 23rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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On Monday night, the Orlando Magic will attempt to salvage at least one more game in their season when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics (-7)
Monday May 23rd, 2010
8:30 ET, TD Banknorth Garden

Orlando Notes: The Magic have put themselves in a boat load of trouble in this series thanks to an offense that has just let the team down. The team shot 41.6 percent, 39.4 percent, and 36.9 percent respectively in Games 1 through 3 of this series. Needless to say, those aren't numbers are going to cut it. It's not as though the defense has failed miserably either. Holding Boston to 95 points or less in all three games should've yielded at bare minimum one victory. F Rashard Lewis was brought to Orlando to play well in situations like this, and he came with the price of a maximum contract. Unfortunately for him and for the Magic, he has only scored a total of 15 points in this series after scoring at least 17 in each of the final three games of the Atlanta series. C Dwight Howard doesn't look overly interested in playing anymore this season. He only scored seven points on 3/10 shooting in Game 3 and picked up a technical foul, his second of this series. If he remains frustrated in Game 4, the Magic stand no chance.

Boston Notes: Only putting 94 points on the board probably wasn't what HC Doc Rivers had in mind for Game 3, but the fact of the matter is that six players scored in double figures in a well rounded effort to take command of this series. F Glen Davis led the way with 17 points for the hosts. F Rasheed Wallace also had ten points off of the bench. G Rajon Rondo is still averaging a double-double with points and assists in this series, and he had yet another productive game on Saturday. Even though he only shot 4/14 from the field, he scored 11 points and dished out a dozen assists. Boston has had three respectable shooting games in this series, including a 46.6 percent effort in Game 3. The team nailed six triples on Saturday, which was only two fewer than Orlando made in spite of the fact that the Magic took 19 more attempts from long range.

Current NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics – Game 4

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7
-7
188
Diamond Sportsbook
+7
-7
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7
-7
188

Trends of Note: All of the Orlando trends seem to be tainted due to the fact that it has struggled so badly against the C's. The Magic are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 road games against teams with a winning record and are 19-6-1 ATS in their L/26 games following an SU loss of at least ten points. However, looking at some of Boston's betting trends is just mind-boggling. The C's have covered six straight games and are 6-1 ATS in their L/7 home games. They're also 7-1 ATS in their L/8 home games against teams with a winning road record. The road team and the underdog are both 7-1 ATS in the L/8 clashes between these teams.

The Final Word: The Magic have simply had it in this series. There's no way that they are going to be able to rebound from this hole unless they figure out how to shoot the ball. But with the mental distractions and the huge deficit, it's hard to see this series getting back to the Sunshine State.

Free NBA Picks: Boston 98 – Orlando 81

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May 17th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Eastern Conference Semifinals continue on Tuesday night from Amway Arena, as the Orlando Magic duke it out with the Boston Celtics.

Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic (-7.5)
Tuesday May 18th, 2010
8:30 ET, Amway Arena

Boston Notes: The Celtics are on fire right now, as they have both won and covered four straight NBA playoff betting lines dating back to Game 4 of their series with Cleveland. In Game 1 against the Magic, they never trailed and really dominated some of the key statistics in the matchup. Boston won the fast break points battle 20-6 and enjoyed an 18-15 turnover edge as well. F Paul Pierce had his best effort since Game 3 of the first round of the postseason in Game 1 against the Magic, scoring 22 points on 6/8 shooting from the floor. He and fellow G Ray Allen led the way, as Allen scored 25 points and knocked down some clutch free throws down the stretch to ice the game. The only bugaboos that HC Doc Rivers can really point at on an individual basis are the performances of G Rajon Rondo and F Kevin Garnett. KG only shot 4/14 from the floor and was often really harmed by the presence of the Magic big men. Rondo, who averaged over 20 points and 11 assists per game against the Cavaliers, only scoring eight points and dished out eight helpers.

Orlando Notes: HC Stan Van Gundy can point to the fact that his team never gave up hope that it could win in spite of the fact that it trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter for motivation to carry into Game 2. He can also assure his squad that, regardless of the fact that it is facing an 0-1 series deficit, that it hasn’t been beaten the game following a loss since the middle of January, a stretch of 50 straight games! However, on the court, things are simply going to have to improve from Game 1 to Game 2. C Dwight Howard only shot 3/10 from the field, and in spite of the fact that he had a double-double (13 points, 12 rebounds) and blocked five shots, his seven turnovers and poor shooting percentages were killers. F Rashard Lewis only shot 2/10 from the floor as well. G Vince Carter led the team in scoring with 23 points to go with five boards. G Jameer Nelson ripped down nine rebounds of his own to go with 20 points.

NBA Betting Odds: Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic Game 2
Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
Diamond Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188.5
BetUS Sportsbook
+7.5
-7.5
188

Trends of Note: The Celtics have now covered three of their L/4 NBA wagering wars against Orlando in this series dating back to the regular season. The C’s are also 17-7 ATS in their L/24 games as dogs of 5.0-10.5 points and are 57-28-2 ATS in their L/87 games as road underdogs overall. The Magic are a stunning 65-32-3 ATS in their L/100 games following an ATS defeat and are 66-32-2 ATS in their L/100 following an SU defeat. They’re still 7-2-1 ATS in their L/10 home games and were 12-2 ATS in their previous 14 before dropping Game 1 to Boston on Sunday.

The Final Word: It’s time for a turnaround for the Magic. Boston played arguably the best game that it could possibly play on the road and still only won by four points. Look for Orlando to play inspired basketball and to put this series back on level terms with a comfortable win in Game 2.

Prediction: Orlando 95 – Boston 83

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May 9th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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It's a do-or-die situation for the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, as they engage in battle with the Orlando Magic in the fourth game of this best-of-seven NBA playoff betting affair.

Orlando Magic (-5.5) @ Atlanta Hawks
Monday May 10th, 2010 
8:00 ET, Philips Arena

Orlando Notes: The Magic have simply been the dominant team in this series, outscoring the Hawks by nearly 100 points in three games. The team has had at least two 20+ point scorers in every game in this series, including putting four at that level in Game 2. The Magic won each quarter in Game 3 by at least five points in yet another truly amazing display. C Dwight Howard is proving that he just doesn't have an equal in this series, scoring an average of 23.7 points and bringing in 15.0 rebounds per game against Atlanta after going four games without a double-double against Charlotte. Unlike in that first round series against the Bobcats, HC Stan Van Gundy has been able to use his big man to the fullest extent due to the fact that he has stayed out of major foul difficulties.

Atlanta Notes: It's hard to love anything that the Hawks are doing right now. They look like a team that has just totally given up on the season. G Mike Bibby has been totally MIA during this entire series, as he has scored just 12 total points and given out six assists in the three games. G Joe Johnson hasn't put it together quite yet in a game either. In Game 3, he shot just 3/15 from the floor and scored eight points. Obviously it goes without saying, but another game like that will be the last in Atlanta's season. F Josh Smith is having a respectable series for Atlanta, as he has scored at least 14 points in all three games and is coming off of a double-double in Game 3. The Hawks haven't shot better than 41% in any of the NBA betting battles against the Magic, which just isn't going to cut it.

NBA Betting Odds: Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks Game 4

Sportsbook
Total
JustBet Sportsbook
-5.5
+5.5
193
Diamond Sportsbook
-6
+6
194
BetUS Sportsbook
-5.5
+5.5
193.5

Trends of Note: Dating back to the regular season, the Magic have won 13 straight games, and they are 11-2 ATS in those 13. They've outscored their opponents by over 17 points per game in this postseason and just don't look beatable right now. Orlando is 45-22 ATS in its L/67 games against the Eastern Conference and 35-17-1 ATS in its L/53 games as a favorite. The Hawks are just 1-10-1 ATS in their L/12 playoff games as underdogs and have yet to cover a game in these playoffs as pups (0-4 SU and ATS). Atlanta is 3-0-1 ATS in its L/4 games following a double digit home loss, but this circumstance is totally different from the average situation.

The Final Word: It may be do-or-die time for the Hawks, but there just isn't any hope of survival for much longer for them. This is a team that looks disoriented on the court, and it just isn't trying hard. There could be a level of complacency for the Magic, but in all likelihood, another romp is going to be in the cards once again.

Prediction: Orlando 105 – Atlanta 92

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February 18th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

With the NBA's trading deadline just a few hours away, there have already been sweeping changes from coast to coast. And I'll bet with the headline of this post, you think I'm talking about Caron Butler or Antawn Jamison or Kevin Martin or Amare Stoudemire…

Guess again. 

I'll be the first to admit it… As I was sitting down and watching ESPN on Wednesday night and I saw, "Breaking News" come across the Bottom Line and then saw that the New York Knicks had reached an agreement to trade… I immediately stopped, looked back down at my computer, and continued my work. I figured that this was finally the T-Mac deal that everyone was talking about that would send the former All-Star to the Big Apple.

 "Good for him," I thought.  I should've thought twice.

Though McGrady was traded from Houston on Wednesday, it wasn't to New York. It was to Sacramento. Instead, the Knicks pulled off the move of the century.

In what probably amounted to be the least interesting and least impactful trade in the history of sports as we know it, Darko Milicic was traded to the Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal.

All together now: "Woohoo"

Remember when Darko was considered the next big thing on the international scene? Some people thought that he should've been the #1 overall pick that year… over some guy named LeBron. Oops. Instead, the Pistons grabbed Milicic with the #2 pick in front of stiffs like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade.

Has there ever been a less relevant draft pick crammed in and amongst as many superstars as Darko? We all know the story of how Milicic started his career on HC Larry Brown's bench and never really emerged as anything more than a mop up player. Now, he's the butt of basically every joke in the league, including this one.

Just last month, Milicic demanded to be released from his contract, but not without collecting on his cool $7.5M. He told the New York Post that, "I would be the happiest guy if I was home with my baby." Now, just over a month later, he was sent to a version of basketball's purgatory: Minnesota.

Maybe it's a good idea to go home, Darko. You're still young, yet as the #2 overall pick in the draft… a draft position that has often provided franchises with the players that have changed their entire team history… you've only managed to be bounced around through Detroit, Orlando, Memphis, New York, and now Minnesota, and you've been dubbed, "The Human Victory Cigar," because you're only on the court for whatever team you're playing for when games are out of reach.

Truth be told, we don't even really know if Darko can ball or if he's just another prototypical big, goofy looking stiff. Maybe the opportunity is finally there for him.

While the other members of that draft class are all entering their free agent seasons and will be signing huge contracts in the summer, Milicic needs to head home and go try to reinvent himself as a player. Maybe then, someone will prove that he truly is wanted in basketball.

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