NBA Regular Season 2023/24, Friday, 22.11.2024, 04:30
The top game in the NBA between the in-form Orlando Magic and the LA Lakers will take place on Friday night. In addition to superstar LeBron James, the two German youngsters Franz and Moritz Wagner will also be there.
So the best basketball entertainment is guaranteed in Downton Los Angeles! My Lakers Magic betting tip, for which a Winamax registration is worthwhile, explains why I expect a favorite win and a low-scoring game!
The always ambitious LA Lakers, who hired former pro JJ Redick as their new head coach in the summer, currently have a strong record of 10-4 and have won the last six games in a row.
The truth is, however, that the only real statement wins so far (against Minnesota and Phoenix) came right at the start of the season.
But still, with a more versatile and much more pass-happy offense and Anthony Davis in All-NBA form (30.7 points on an outstanding 56.7% from the field and 41.4%, 11.4 rebounds), Lakers fans can have legitimate hopes for a deep playoff run.
LeBron James, perhaps the best and most versatile basketball player of all time, is also playing another strong and efficient season despite his 39 years, averaging 23.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.4 assists at formidable rates of 51.5% from the field and 41.6% from the three-point line.
In addition, the Lakers’ scouts proved to have the right instinct with guard Dalton Knecht in this year’s draft. As an accurate three-and-D energizer, he is proving to be a much-needed support.
The gold and purple team currently has the fourth-best offensive rating in the association (118.1).
They are also elite in the categories of assist-turnover ratio (5th), turnover rate (4th), effective field goal percentage (8th) and true shooting (5th).
At the defensive end, however, the statistics are much less rosy. The Southern Californians currently have the sixth-worst defense (rating of 117).
The betting provider Bet-at-home, on the other hand, is in a much better position, sweetening the first deposit for new customers with a bonus of up to 100 euros!
The Lakers are also surprisingly poor in sub-categories of defense, such as defensive rebound rate (26th), opponents’ points in the zone (26th) or opponents’ shooting percentage (24th), given their good record.
While the Lakers have a high-percentage offense and are only below average defensively, the opposite is true for today’s visitors from Florida.
The Magic, who have a record of 9-7 and have won six of their last seven games, currently have the second-best defense in the league with a rating of 104.2!
No team allows fewer points on average, only four teams allow a lower opponent shooting percentage and no other team allows fewer points directly under the basket.
Due to the league’s best defensive rebound rate, no other team allows fewer second-chance points.
In addition, they were able to record a real statement win in their penultimate game against the Phoenix Suns.
However, they then suffered a 93-104 defeat at the LA Clippers last night.
The Floridians’ current strength in form is all the more astonishing given that franchise cornerstone Paolo Banchero, who got off to an outstanding start to the season, was only able to play in the first five games of the season and is currently out for several weeks with a torn right external oblique abdominal muscle.
The vacant role of top scorer every night is being filled brilliantly by German basketball world champion Franz Wagner.
Since Banchero’s retirement, the Berlin native has scored an All-Star-worthy 24.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
The 23-year-old’s three-point percentage (34.4 instead of 28.1%) has also been much better than last season.
Brother and co-World Champion Moritz Wagner (27) has established himself as one of the league’s best off-the-bench energizers with 12.2 points per game and a strong shooting percentage of 53.5% from the field.
Meanwhile, Orlando’s big shortcoming is its offense, which is the sixth-worst in the league with a rating of 108.4. Only four players average double-digit points per game and the Magic run the sixth slowest offense, which is not a bad thing per se.
Due to the Magic’s strong defense and the fact that they have to play an unloved back-to-back, I expect a low-scoring game in which the Lakers will triumph.
Therefore, a combination bet of a Lakers win and a maximum of 218 points in the total game is recommended, which is offered at lucrative odds of 2.65 with the French provider Winamax!
After all, the Californians have won seven of the last eight meetings and five of these games were won by less than 218.5 points!
My Lakers Magic tip: Home win and under 218.5 points!
