Magic at Pistons – Battle Brewing in Detroit

The Orlando Magic (46-16 SU, 39-22-1 ATS, 30-32 O/U) and the Detroit Pistons (31-30 SU, 25-36 ATS, 25-35-1 O/U) will both be gunning for a victory when the Eastern Conference foes battle at The Palace of Auburn Hills tonight.

The Magic recorded a solid victory over the defending-champion Boston Celtics on Sunday, winning 86-79 as a 2-point road underdog on Sunday while the combined score fell Under the posted O/U total of 196.5 points.

All-star center Dwight Howard scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Magic while sweet-shooting forward Hedo Turkoglu added 16 points in the win.

The Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped in its narrow 87-83 loss to the Atlanta Hawks last time out, failing to cover the spread as 2.5-point road underdogs while the game’s combined 170 points fell Under the posted over/under total of 184 points.

Young point guard Rodney Stuckey scored a team-high 19 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists in the loss while veteran shooting guard Richard Hamilton scored a game-high 20 points.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and NBA Free Pick.

Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road

Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road

The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando’s last 5 games when playing Detroit

Detroit is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Orlando

Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Orlando

Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games

Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

NBA Odds

Orlando Magic -1½ -110

Detroit Pistons +1½ -110

Over 187 -110

Under 187 -110

Analysis: While the Orlando Magic are coming off a very nice performance against the Celtics on Sunday, I like the veteran-laden Pistons to bounce back from their recent loss to get back in the win column while picking up a nice ATS cover along the way.

The Pistons have won four straight against the Magic while covering the spread in two straight.

NBA Free Picks: Detroit +1½ Points/Under 187 Total Points