Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers (March 23, 2026): 3 Things to Watch, Odds and Prediction

• How To Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Florida (Orlando); FanDuel Sports Network Indiana (Indianapolis); NBA League Pass (National)
• STREAM MAGIC-PACERS ON FUBO TV
• How to Listen: WYGM 96.9 FM (Orlando); 740AM (Orlando); 93.5/107.5 The Fan (Indianapolis); Sirius XM Channel 212 (Magic); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
• FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
• Tickets: $20-$289+ on StubHub
• Season Series: Magic 112, Pacers 110 in Indianapolis on Dec. 31; Magic 135, Pacers 127 in Orlando on Jan. 4; Tonight in Orlando

Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch

1. Owning the paint

The Orlando Magic are not a good shooting team. They still rank 24th in effective field goal percentage and 26th in 3-point field goal percentage. That has been the reality for a long time.

It is frustrating then that during this four-game losing streak, the Magic have gone from a season-average of 34.4 3-point attempts per game to 43.0 3-point attempts per game while still shooting a woeful 32.6 percent from deep during this four-game losing streak.

The Magic's key to success has always been to get to the paint.

Orlando is 10th in the league with 51.1 points in the paint per game. But in the last four games, the team averages only 39.0 points in the paint per game.

Teams are walling off the paint and daring the Magic to make threes right now. Success for Orlando is about getting to the paint.

The Indiana Pacers are 29th in the league giving up 55.4 points in the paint per gmae. They are giving up 59.9 points in the paint per game in the last 15 games (all losses). The Magic must dominate the paint if they want to take care of their business Monday night.

2. Losing streak

As bad as things have been for the Orlando Magic for the last week, things have been really bad for the Indiana Pacers. They have lost 16 in a row and have lost only five of those games by fewer than 10 points.

Indiana has a -14.8 net rating in the last 15 games (all losses). The Pacers have a 111.4 offensive rating and a league-worst 126.2 defensive rating.

Indiana can still score, especially if the team plays some of its regular players. But this is a team with a woeful defense. An aggressive Magic team getting to the paint will find ways to score. The Pacers are a team that is gettable.

But be forewarned, the Magic are sitting Jalen Suggs tonight with an illness. The Washington Wizards are in the midst of a 16-game losing streak with a worse net rating too. And among those 16 losses is an overtime loss to the Magic at the Kia Center.

Orlando cannot sleepwalk through this game. At some point the Pacers will probably win.

3. Jevon Carter gets comfortable

It has been 18 games since Jevon Carter joined the Orlando Magic. He has had a very successful run for the team and was a huge pickup after the trade deadline, with the team needing to find a backup point guard to fill in after trading Tyus Jones.

Carter had the reputation for being an excellent defender. But his biggest boost has been his offensive aggression.

Carter is averaging 8.0 points per game while shooting 38.4 percent overall and 33.3 percent from three. What he has lacked in efficiency, he has made up for in aggression and volume. He is taking 5.5 3-point attempts per game.

It is a flip from Jones who was super careful with his shot selection and rarely hunted his own baskets.

Carter could stand to be a little more efficient and selective. Orlando has a 114.6 offensive rating with Carter on the floor. He has helped the team significantly without taking away from the defense -- a 109.8 defensive rating.

And he will be a big factor in this game with Jalen Suggs out of the lineup.

Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers: Injury Report & Projected Lineups

Indiana Pacers Injury Report

• Tyrese Haliburton - OUT (Right ACL Tear)
• Pascal Siakam - QUESTIONABLE (Right Knee Sprain)
• Ivica Zubac - OUT (Rib Fracture)
• Andrew Nembhard - QUESTIONABLE (Right Calf Contusion)
• Aaron Nesmith - QUESTIONABLE (Right Ankle Injury Management)
• Obi Toppin - QUESTIONABLE (Right Foot Injury Management)
• Johnny Furphy - OUT (Right ACL Tear)
• Jalen Slawson - DOUBTFUL (G-League Two-Way)
• Ethan Thompson - DOUBTFUL (G-League Two-Way)
• Taelon Peter - DOUBTFUL (G-League Two-Way)

Orlando Magic Injury Report

• Franz Wagner - OUT (Left High Ankle Sprain Injury Management)
• Jalen Suggs - OUT (Illness)
• Anthony Black - OUT (Left Lateral Abdominal Strain)
• Jonathan Isaac - OUT (Left Knee Sprain)

Projected Starting Lineups

Orlando Magic vs. Indiana Pacers: Prediction

Our Record: 43-27/31-39 ATS

Orlando Magic fans are sweating this four-game losing streak as the team falls in the standings. But the team is still not far from getting to fifth. A lot will change daily in the race for the 5-seed. The standings will get all jumbled up.

All the Magic can and need to do is win.

The losses in the four-game losing streak have not been to teams you regret losing to. Three of those teams were on win streaks of eight games or more when the Magic faced them. The other was the red-hot Charlotte Hornets. It was all about the way the team lost.

It feels like Orlando needs to get the feeling of a win again. They need a team that does not require an A-plus level of play just to get that feeling back and regain some confidence.

The Pacers will allow for a lot of mistakes. That is a benefit. But it is not a rope the Magic should take fully.

Orlando really needs a blowout win. A game where the team takes care of its business, does things the right way and just has a confidence-building night.

That should be something that happens in this game. But if Orlando does not come with the right approach, things could get dicy. This is a process game where the Magic must take care of business.