Knicks vs. Magic odds, line: NBA picks, predictions from model on 46-32 roll

Dennis Smith Jr. and the New York Knicks host Nikola Vucevic and the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night with tipoff from Madison Square Garden set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Orlando heads into this one just half a game behind the Hornets for eighth place in the East, and a strong second half could certainly push the Magic into the playoffs. They were one of the hottest teams in the NBA heading into the All-Star Break, winning seven of eight games to close out the first half. They can’t afford to lose a game like this. The Knicks have won two of their past three games, after experiencing a brutal 18-game losing streak before that. New York is listed as a 7.5-point home underdog for this game, while the over-under for total points is 214.5 in the latest Knicks vs. Magic odds. Before you make any Knicks vs. Magic picks of your own, check out the NBA predictions from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, is crushing its NBA picks. It entered Week 20 of the 2018-19 NBA season with a sterling 222-169 record on all top-rated picks, returning more than $4,000 to anybody following them. And it has been particularly red-hot on its A-rated NBA picks against the spread, entering Week 20 on a blistering 46-32 run. Anybody who has followed it is way up.

Now it has locked in on Knicks vs. Magic. We can tell you it’s leaning under, and it also has locked in a confident against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see that selection at SportsLine.

The model is well aware of the difference in motivation between these two teams. While New York has little incentive to win games at this point, the Magic are fighting for their playoff lives. Every game is important for them at this point, and you can bet that a team with veteran leaders like Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and D.J. Augustin will be ready for this game.

The Magic are clearly the better team on paper, too. While the Knicks rank just 27th in defensive efficiency, Orlando boasts a top-10 mark. They rank notably better than the Knicks in offensive efficiency and rebounding rate, too. On top of all of that, the Knicks have the worst home record in the NBA at 5-24.

Just because Orlando needs this win more, doesn’t mean it will cover the Knicks vs. Magic spread, however. 

The model is also well aware that the Knicks have actually covered the spread more often than not when they were at least six-point underdogs this season. While many factors point towards Orlando being the better team, there’s a chance that Vegas is overstating the difference between the two. 

With two outright wins in their past three games and youngsters like Smith Jr., Mitchell Robinson, and Damyean Dotson playing well to close the year, it is quite conceivable that the Knicks can keep this one within striking distance. DSJ is coming off of a 19-point, 13-assist double-double his last time out, and he’s clearly hitting his stride as the team’s floor general. 

So who wins Magic vs. Knicks? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Magic vs. Knicks spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.