Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors (Dec. 3, 2022): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction
The Orlando Magic look to end their seven-game losing streak as they take on the Toronto Raptors on the road and exorcise some of their demons.
Orlando Magic (5-18) at Toronto Raptors (11-11)
Time/TV: 8 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
WATCH MAGIC-RAPTORS ON FUBO TV
FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
Line: Raptors by 11
Tickets: $33-$1,181 on StubHub
Season Series: Tonight in Toronto; Dec. 9 in Orlando; Dec. 11 in Orlando; Feb. 14 in Toronto
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 98.4 | 109.1 | 115.4 | 53.3 | 28.1 | 16.8 | 28.6 |
| Toronto | 98.6 | 111.6 | 110.6 | 50.5 | 32.4 | 13.2 | 26.7 |
OMD Prediction
The Toronto Raptors have always been a difficult matchup for the Orlando Magic, even as the Magic are seemingly trying to build themselves to be a version of this Raptors team. The Raptors love their versatility and their size. It gives a lot of teams problems even if they do not have the best shooters to match.
Toronto makes up for that with their offensive rebounding and their constant pummeling of opponents for every mistake they make. The Raptors’ poise and confidence in their style is the franchise’s greatest strength.
The Magic certainly are not of that quality. And with the injuries the team is facing, Orlando has to be wary that Toronto is strongest at the things the team is weakest at. Still, the Toronto Raptors have been inconsistent and are coming off a 114-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
That should sharpen the Raptors’ focus some, especially at home where they have been very good.
81. Prediction. 99. 38. 108
3 Keys To Watch
Turnovers
It has been a while since we last talked about turnovers with this Orlando Magic team. Not that it has not been an issue for this team still. Other things have taken the focus.
But the Toronto Raptors are a team where turnovers do take center stage. The Raptors consistently punish teams for every mistake they make and press that advantage. That is what Toronto has built its reputation on.
The Raptors are lead the league in opponent turnover rate at 17.6 percent. They lead the league with 22.0 points off turnovers per game and lead the league with 18.3 fastbreak points per game. This is the central part of Toronto’s attack.
It is also the weakest part of the Magic’s offensive attack. The Magic are 29th in the league in turnover rate at 16.8 percent and 26th in opponents points off turnovers at 20.2 per game. The story of this game will be how well the Magic protect the ball because the Raptors will kill them if they do not.
The guard difference
It is still unclear whether Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony will be available for Saturday’s game as they continue to get acclimated in their returns from injury. Whatever minute restriction they were supposed to be playing under seems to have already been pushed to the wayside. Both played nearly 30 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, even sharing the court at times during the game.
It is very clear that Orlando wants to have its two guards on the court. The Magic know how much they need the guards on the floor. Enough so that they will ignore their injury protocols.
It is hard to put it into numbers because the Magic have not played great overall in the past two games (the Magic have a -16.4 net rating with Fultz in the game and -17.7 net rating with Anthony in the game the past two outings). But the team likes the general increase in pace (the number may not quite back this up in a small sample size) and they know how vital traditional point guards will be to get out of this losing streak.
Franz and Scottie
Orlando Magic fans still take some salt to the Toronto Raptors’ lording of Scottie Barnes over them (even though it was Toronto’s pick and Orlando had two picks behind them). The chants of “Scottie’s better” for Jalen Suggs in the first game last November last year rubbed everyone thhe wrong way.
Barnes earned Rookie of the Year consideration last year. But he has been up and down in his sophomore season, averaging 14.0 points per game, 6.4 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game, but his effective field goal percentage has dipped to 48.1 percent. Barnes is back in the starting linup after missing a few games and returning off the bench.
Unlike Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner has had a sophomore surge. He is averaging 19.5 points per game and 4.1 assists per game with a 53.5 percent effective field goal percentage. He has had two poor games the last two outings, but still managed to score around 20 points and berak even in plus/minus and net ratings. The Magic are better with Wagner.
Next. Bol Bol needs to stay aggressive in changing lineups. dark
And Wagner might be the better sophomore at the moment.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.