For the second time in three days, the Toronto Raptors take on the Magic in Orlando.
The pregame narrative: Toronto won a rock fight, 104-102, on Sunday and I expect another low-scoring affair in Round II. Prop bets on Paolo Banchero and Cole Anthony round out this +350 wager.
Check out my Raptors vs. Magic SGP predictions for March 4.
Raptors vs. Magic predictions
Parlay: Under 215 points | Banchero 25+ points | Anthony 1+ threes (+350)
Under 215 points (-215): Orlando is one of the most unders-friendly teams in the NBA, cashing the wager at a 62.9% rate (second to only the Charlotte Hornets).
There are a few reasons for that, which I’ll lay out here:
- Orlando plays at the second-slowest pace (possessions per 48 minutes) in the league.
- It also has the second-best defensive rating and the third-worst offensive rating.
- The squad attempts the eighth-fewest 3s per game (35.3).
Toronto is also a good team to target on unders. It ranks 29th in 3-point attempts (32.8/game) and makes (11.4/game) — the only team making fewer 3s on a nightly basis is Orlando (10.8).
This game will be contested inside the arc and at a slow pace, meaning fans won’t see a track meet at Kia Center.
The under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between the Magic and Raptors, cashing in five straight.
SGP legs
Banchero 25+ points (-108): Someone is going to have to score in this matchup, and my bet’s on Banchero.
The power forward fell just shy of this total on Sunday, scoring 23 points with just nine field goal attempts. He went 12-for-15 from the charity stripe and played 39:08 in the loss.
That was a weird game. I don’t expect Banchero to go to the line as often but he should be taking way more than nine shots in the rematch.
Banchero averaged 28.3 points and 21.3 field goal attempts in his previous seven games, clearing this line four times while landing on 24 points once.
Toronto allows the 13th-most PPG to opposing power forwards, according to Fantasy Pros.
Anthony 1+ threes (-335): I mentioned how little each team shoots the deep ball, but this isn’t asking for much. It also brings this wager’s odds up from +205 to +350.
Anthony has cleared this line in 18 of his last 20 games and is shooting a respectable 37.1% from beyond the arc since Jan. 1.
The point guard has played 14 games against the Raptors in his career, cashing this bet 13 times while shooting 41.8% from deep.
Picks made at 10:00 a.m. ET 03/04/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.