NBA Action Spurs @ Magic

Thursday night offers sports betting fans a matchup of two of the NBA’s best teams, when the San Antonio Spurs travel to Orlando to take on the Magic. Offshore sportsbooks have installed Orlando as two-point favorites, and set the sports betting line total at 192. As of Thursday night, the Spurs sport a 15-8 record, and are .500 ATS sporting a 12-12 mark. The Magic, meanwhile, are an impressive 19-6 and 15-9-1 against the betting line.

Orlando might not get the attention of fans due to the unbelievable success of the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics, but NBA handicappers and online bookies have certainly taken notice. The Magic return home after a successful road trip that saw it win four of its five games. Orlando bettors were even more fortunate, as their team covered all five contests. Even more impressive was that the Magic won twice without All-Star Dwight Howard, who was out with a left knee injury.

Howard is questionable for Thursday night’s game. Without him, the Magic still found a way to get past host Golden State, 109-98 and Utah, 103-94. Jameer Nelson picked up the slack in Howard’s absence, tying a career high with 32 points. Marcin Gortat, Howard’s backup who was forced into starting duty, responded with career-highs of 16 points and 13 boards in the Magic’s most recent win against the Warriors. Rookie Courtney Lee added 16 points off the bench to contribute to one of the most balanced attacks in the NBA.

San Antonio has been even hotter than Orlando of late, winning six of its past seven games. The Spurs have feasted on the likes of Oklahoma City, Minnesota, and Golden State, a soft schedule coinciding with the roster’s return to full health. San Antonio has been getting its usual contributions from its big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, but unheralded players such as Matt Bonner and Roger Mason have also been strong contributors. In the Spurs’ most recent win over Oklahoma City on Sunday, Bonner and Mason combined for 31 points, and both figure to play prominent roles throughout the season because of their ability to shoot at a high percentage from the field.

According to current NBA betting trends, those looking to make an online wager on the total should consider the over in this one. It is 7-1 in the past eight meetings between these two teams in Orlando. Good luck if you’re brave enough to bet on a side in this NBA betting affair, as both teams are playing great basketball of late and are covering spreads at a great clip.

Will Howard play? If he does, how effective will he be? And if not, can Orlando perform well enough to beat one of the Western Conference’s elite? How will San Antonio perform on the second night of a back-to-back after losing a tough one in New Orleans last night?

These are the questions that must be answered before placing an online wager on this game. When you believe to have the answer, BetOnline.com is the only place to make your wagers. BetOnline has its NBA lines up for this and every other game on the Thursday night NBA betting board, so log in today and get your action down!