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Orlando has stumbled out of the gate to a 3-6 straight-up start that includes a 97-86 loss to Toronto this past Sunday as a four-point road underdog. The Magic are 4-4-1 against the spread and the total has stayed UNDER in four of their last six games. They are 1-4 SU (2-2-1 ATS) in their first five games on the road.

With Dwight Howard now on the West Coast with the Lakers, Orlando has suddenly become very average. Defensively, the Magic are holding their opponents to an average of 95.9 points a game while pulling down 42.1 rebounds, but they are having some major problems putting the ball in the basket. Arron Afflalo is the team’s leading scorer with 16.3 points a game, closely followed by JJ Redick and Glenn Davis, who are each scoring just under 16 points as well. Overall, Orlando is putting up an average of just 90.2 points a game which is ranked 27th in the NBA but has scored less than that in five of its last six games.

The early results for Atlanta have been mixed with a 4-4 start SU and a 3-5 record ATS. The total has stayed UNDER in five of its last six games. This past Friday night the Hawks knocked off Sacramento 112-96 as two-point favorites to even the score at 2-2 on a recent four-game road trips. They now return home where they are 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS.

This is another team that is trying to adjust to a re-tooled lineup heading into this season. Josh Smith and Al Horford are each averaging 15.6 points and just below nine rebounds a game. Jeff Teague is averaging 13.8 points and dishing-out a team-high 6.3 assists, while newcomer Lou Williams is coming off the bench to chip-in another 14.1 points and 3.6 assists. Atlanta, as a team, is averaging 94.4 points a game while giving-up an average of 93.6 points to its opponents. The Hawks have struggled under the boards with just 39.3 rebounds a game.

Prediction:

In a matchup of two teams trying to find themselves in the early going of a new season, look for the Hawks to come out on top on the scoreboard, but stick with Orlando to keep things close enough to cover with the 9.5 points. Atlanta 96 Orlando 91