The Atlanta Hawks (1-0) will be looking for another double-digit victory when they host the Orlando Magic (0-1) as heavy favorites on Friday night. Atlanta opened the season with a 117-107 win over Houston on Wednesday, as four players scored 20-plus points. Orlando is coming off a 113-109 loss at Detroit in its opener, as the Pistons went on a 14-9 run to close the game.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Atlanta is favored by 9 points in the latest Hawks vs. Magic odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 225.5. Before entering any Magic vs. Hawks picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model finished the 2021-22 season on a stunning 88-60 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Hawks vs. Magic. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Magic vs. Hawks:
- Hawks vs. Magic spread: Hawks -9
- Hawks vs. Magic over/under: 225.5 points
- Hawks vs. Magic picks: See picks here
Why Hawks can cover
Atlanta showcased its revamped backcourt in its 117-107 win over Houston on Wednesday night. The Hawks already had All-Star point guard Trae Young on their roster, but they added star guard Dejounte Murray from San Antonio in the offseason. Young and Murray combined for 43 points and 24 assists in the season opener, leaving themselves room for improvement with a 2-of-14 mark from beyond the arc.
The frontcourt played well too, as forwards John Collins and De'Andre Hunter scored a combined 46 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Orlando is coming off a loss and is on the road for the second straight game to open the season, giving Atlanta another edge. The Hawks have won six of the last seven meetings between these teams, covering in five of the last six matchups.
Why Magic can cover
Orlando was without star point guard Cole Anthony in its season-opening loss, but he could return from an illness in time for this game. Anthony participated in the morning shootaround on Friday and is viewed as a game-time decision. Jalen Suggs put forth a solid effort in his spot start in place of Anthony, scoring 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
Rookie forward Paolo Banchero was the headliner on Wednesday though, scoring 27 points and grabbing nine rebounds in his NBA debut. Atlanta played an excellent game in its opener, but it still only wound up winning by 10 points. It will be difficult to replicate that performance on Friday night, especially if Anthony is on the court for Orlando.
How to make Magic vs. Hawks picks
The model has simulated Hawks vs. Magic 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Magic vs. Hawks? And which side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hawks vs. Magic spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.