Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Assessing the Orlando Magic's 2024 season betting lines at the midpoint of the year

The Orlando Magic started the season with limited expectations despite plenty of potential and belief in the group. At the midpoint of the season, the Magic find themselves in the playoff race and completely changing what they feel is possible. Or defying Vegas' expectations at the least.

By Matthew Costello

Los Angeles Lakers v Orlando Magic
Los Angeles Lakers v Orlando Magic / Rich Storry/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next

Assessing Orlando Magic's 2024 Expectations at Midseason

CURRENT ODDS: Orlando Magic Make the Playoffs (-375)

PRESEASON ODDS: Orlando Magic Make the Playoffs (+1300)

The Orlando Magic was a team that was not expected to make the playoffs before the season. So, there has been another dramatic jump since the preseason.

Originally, experts had Orlando pegged to be bottom-feeders in the league again. But thanks to the stellar play of Paolo Banchero and the crew, the Magic have changed public perception, and they have done so quickly.

As indicated by the odds of various sportsbooks, the Magic are looking good to reach their first playoff appearance since the 2020 Bubble.

If the season ended Tuesday, Orlando would be looking at a play-in game as the 8-seed. But the Orlando Magic are closer to catching the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 4-seed than falling to the Brooklyn Nets, who are 11th and slated to miss the Play-In Tournament.

As things stand entering Tuesday's games, the Orlando Magic are 2.5 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls for eighth. They trail the seventh-place Indiana Pacers and sixth-place Miami Heat by 1.5 games. They trail the fifth-place New York Knicks by 3.5 games and the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers by 4.5 games.

Orlando is ahead of Brooklyn by five games to miss the postseason entirely. It seems unlikely the Magic will at least be playing postseason basketball in April and reaching Game 83 this season.

As long as Orlando does not dramatically regress for any reason, they should finish the regular season a top-10 seed and have a chance to make the playoffs. If they play as well in the second half of the season as they played earlier in the first, the Play-In Tournament is something they may not even have to worry about, and they could finish a top-6 seed.

FINAL CALL – TAKE

Home/Betting Content