The Magic are performing well with a 9-6 record, placing them third in the Eastern Conference. However, their offense tends to stagnate when facing teams with strong defenses, and other players lack diverse offensive strategies. The Magic are a typical defense-first team, ranking among the top three in the league for defense, but their average points per game ranks near the bottom third of the league.

While the Lakers are in good form, their bench players struggle to score. Players like Vincent and Christie have barely contributed offensively. Additionally, this game is part of a back-to-back series, and against the Magic’s strong defense, it will be tough for the Lakers to score when LeBron James is off the court. Thus, I predict a low-scoring game.

Pick: Total points under 217.5 (Betway)