Basketball betting features two Southeast Division rivals in a televised game on TNT for Thursday night as the Miami Heat host the Orlando Magic.The Magic are leading the division while the Heat have fallen back in the standings after a strong start to the NBA betting season.
Basketball betting in terms of the situation does favor the Heat. Orlando had to play last night at home vs. Toronto so they could be a little weary in the second of a back-to-back. It is the fourth game of a six-game homestand for the Heat. This is the second of four basketball betting meetings between the Heat and Magic this season. The Heat won the first game of the season-series by a score of 99-98. Last season, Orlando won the season-series, 3-1. The Heat are 23-16 all-time in games played in Miami against the Magic but they have lost six of the last seven.
The first basketball betting meeting between these two teams was a classic as Michael Beasley dunked home a Dwyane Wade air ball with 1.6 seconds left, as Miami won 99-98 at Orlando in NBA betting. Beasley finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat as basketball betting stats showed, while James Jones added 16 points. Jason Williams led the Magic with 25 points and eight assists, while Vince Carter had 22 points.
The Magic have won eight of the last ten against Miami even with that earlier basketball betting loss. They are also 6-3-1 vs. the NBA betting odds in those games. The last four games in this basketball betting series have all gone over the total.
Orlando was rolling right along on the road but then they lost their last two games of the latest road trip to fall to 8-6 against the basketball betting odds on the road. The Magic have normally been a great team in basketball betting on the road. Orlando’s defense has slipped a little bit of late though as they are 10th in the league in points allowed. Their offense is 9th in total points scored per basketball betting contest.
Miami started the basketball betting season in fine form but that is now history. And part of the problem for Miami has been at home where they simply do not have a good record against the NBA betting odds. Too often it is Dwyane Wade and nothing else for Miami.