Blow Out Alert – New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

BetOnline Sportsbook customers have taken notice that the New York Knicks have been absolutely embarrassed in each of their last two games. On Saturday the Knicks will look to redeem themselves as they travel to face the Orlando Magic in NBA pro basketball sports betting action that is set to get underway at 7 PM ET at the Amway Arena in Orlando.

BetOnline NBA Basketball Sports Betting Odds:  ORLANDO -12, Total 215

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* NY has lost 15 of its last 22 games SU
* NY is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six road games
* NY has lost 15 of its last 21 road games SU
* NY has played eight of its last 12 road games OVER the total
* ORL has covered its last five games
* ORL has won four of its last five games SU
* ORL has played four of its last five games UNDER the total
* ORL has covered four of its last six home games
* ORL has won six of its last seven home games SU
* ORL has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total

Also….

* ORL has won and covered five of the last six meetings
* Five of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
* ORL has won and covered five of the last six meetings as the home team
* ORL has had the shooting edge in each of the last six meetings
* ORL has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings
* ORL has made more three-pointers in four of the last six meetings

Here is where the two teams stand as far as playoff possibilities are concerned: Orlando is five games in back of Eastern Conference leader Cleveland, but only a game in back of Boston, which means second place in the East is within its reach. The Knicks are running out of chances, sitting in 12th place in the East, three and a half games behind eighth-place Chicago.

If the Knicks aren’t smarting from their last two games, they should be. New York played no defense in either their 115-89 loss to the Nets on Wednesday (allowed 59%) or its 121-94 defeat to Sacramento on Friday (allowed 55%), a game, incidentally, where Al Harrington sat out with his Achilles problem. If you don’t play defense, you are in absolutely no shape to play the Orlando Magic, a team shooting 46% and hitting more three-pointers than anyone in the NBA (10.2 per game, and 44 in their last four contests).

It needs to be noted that those two horrendous, embarrassing losses suffered by the Knicks were at the Garden. We’re not saying that to illustrate how bad this team is (although a substantial case can be made in that regard) but to use it to reference the contrast between the Knicks at home and on the road. As a visitor, New York is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six, and there were competitive efforts at Cleveland, Miami and East Rutherford, not to mention wins at Detroit and Milwaukee. So don’t write this team off automatically.

At the same time, Orlando has blown out a few teams at home lately, namely the Utah Jazz (105-87), Chicago (107-79), Phoenix (111-99) and Miami (122-99). They’re capable of it, for sure. To offer more perspective, Sacramento’s Friday win over the Knicks was their first in 29 tries against Eastern Conference teams. The Knicks are banged up, with Danilo Gallinari out for the year, David Lee playing with a very sore knee, Chris Duhon suffering from a bad back, and Harrington a day-to-day proposition with his Achilles.

We’re laying the points with the Magic, the 12-point favorite in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: ORLANDO -12 ** 
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)