Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 5, 2022): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction
The Orlando Magic open a five-game homestand against the Eastern Conference favorite Milwaukee Bucks as the Magic hope to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Orlando Magic (5-19) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (16-6)
Time/TV: 7 p.m./Bally Sports Florida
WATCH MAGIC-BUCKS ON FUBO TV
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Line: Bucks by 9.5
Tickets: $18-$4,779 on StubHub
Season Series: Tonight in Orlando; March 1 in Milwaukee; March 7 in Orlando
| Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 100.1 | 111.6 | 107.0 | 53.3 | 29.7 | 14.8 | 26.3 |
| Orlando | 98.4 | 109.1 | 115.8 | 53.4 | 28.0 | 16.8 | 28.8 |
OMD Prediction
I would love to say that returning to the Amway Center would bring some form of relief for the Orlando Magic. And perhaps it will.
But the quality of the opponents the Magic are facing in this five-game homestand will not give much relief. And once again, the Magic are facing a team that will hit them where they struggle the most.
The Milwaukee Bucks are not a difficult team to figure out. But they are a difficult team to play against because they do the simple things so well. And this goes before they even get Khris Middleton back in full force.
Orlando is in a really bad spot right now. It is clear the team needs to make some adjustments and hope for some help. There is not a lot of relief on that front on the horizon — at least Mo Bamba is listed as QUESTIONABLE now with his back spasms. Orlando has to find a way to steady the boat. This is the wrong opponent to try to figure that out.
38. Prediction. 122. 89. 102
3 Keys To Watch
The way to win
Former Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford constantly talked that his team had a way to play if they were going to win. It might as well be a checklist of things the team has to do to win — and they probably needed to do four or five of the six or seven things on that list to have a chance. Orlando’s margin for error remains pretty small.
The Magic struggle to hit 3-pointers. They are not exactly seeking out the shots. And so they have to find a way to make up for this. Early in the season, they were able to do it by doing two things: scoring points in the paint and getting to the foul line.
We will get to the paint battle shortly. But the big difference for Orlando that has kept its offense afloat is the free throw shooting.
The Magic are still a top-five team in free throw rate at 28.8 percent (essentially three free throws for every 10 field goal attempts). But during this 10-game stretch where the team is 1-9, Orlando has fallen to 10th at 27.6 percent.
That is not a huge drop and the Magic are still getting to the line. But this is essential for the team right now to make up for their lack of shooting. And maybe for their lack of scoring in the paint.
Parade in the paint
If there is one thing the Orlando Magic have been good at offensively so far this season it is getting to the paint and putting pressure on the rim. Orlando is now 17th in the league at 48.9 points in the paint per game. But in the last 10 games, the Magic are 25th at 45.4 points in the paint per game. This has been the biggest drain on the Magic’s offense.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ defense is predicated on stopping these points in the paint. Their drop coverage with Brook Lopez is designed to invite teams in only to close the trap behind them with Brook Lopez’s length and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s everything else.
Milwaukee gives up 46.4 points in the paint per game, the fourth-fewest in the league. This is the central tenet of the Bucks’ defense. They shut down the paint and force difficult shots on the perimeter or from mid-range. And the Magic need point paints to survive.
The only good news here is that Lopez is QUESTIONABLE with planned rest.
Middleton’s return
The Milwaukee Bucks have been a juggernaut for a long time now. Giannis Antetokounmpo is Giannis Antetokounmpo. That goes without saying — 31.8 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game.
The Bucks’ offense has still hummed at a consistent clip without a super-important player. Khris Middleton made his return to the lineup Friday in the Milwaukee Bucks’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 17 points. He sat out the second end of the back-to-back against the Charlotte Hornets.
Next. 5 questions for the Orlando Magic's second quarter. dark
Middleton gives the team another great 3-point shooter and eases some of the pressure off Antetokounmpo. It is just another weapon for a fantastic Bucks team that is coming back for its title.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.