Who’s playing
New York Knicks @Orlando Magic
Current records: New York 20-10, Orlando 19-13
How to watch
- When: Friday, December 27, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Or: Kia Center – Orlando, Florida
- TV: FanDuel SN – Florida
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $64.00
What you need to know
The New York Knicks and Orlando Magic will close out the year against each other on Friday at 7 p.m. ET at the Kia Center. The Knicks are looking to add another W to their five-game road streak.
The Knicks head into the competition after earning their closest victory since November 15 on Wednesday. They had just enough and outscored the Spurs 117-114.
Mikal Bridges was nothing short of spectacular: he shot 6 of 9 from beyond the arc en route to 41 points plus two steals and two blocks. Additionally, he also posted a three-point shooting accuracy of 66.7%, which is the highest he has posted since October. Jalen Brunson’s dreadful 0-5 three-point shooting was less helpful for the Knicks.
The Knicks broke the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive rebounds. This is a new trend for them: They averaged 9.1 offensive rebounds per game earlier this season, but in their last five games, they’ve averaged 12.6.
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Magic on Thursday, but not the final result. They lost 89-88 to the Heat on a last-minute shot by Tyler Herro. Orlando jumped out to an early lead (up by 17 with 5:36 left in the first quarter), but unfortunately they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
New York has been on a roll lately: they’ve won six of their last seven games, which is a nice improvement to their 20-10 record this season. As for Orlando, their loss dropped their record to 19-13.
This competition is shaping up to be a blast: the Knicks have been insanely accurate this season, making 49.7% of their field goals per game (they are ranked second in overall field goal percentage). It’s a different story for the Magic, as they’ve only made 45.1 percent of theirs this season. Given the Knicks’ considerable advantage in this area, the Magic will need to find a way to close this gap.
Looking ahead, the Knicks are the favorites as experts expect them to win by seven points. They might be worth a quick bet since they’re sitting on a three-game streak of covering the spread when playing on the road.
Odds
New York is a solid 7-point favorite against Orlando, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of ​​the line for this one, as the game opened with the Knicks as 6.5-point favorites.
Oddsmakers are predicting a defensive matchup and setting the low/under at 212.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
New York has won 6 of its last 10 games against Orlando.
- December 15, 2024 – New York 100 vs. Orlando 91
- December 3, 2024 – New York 121 vs. Orlando 106
- March 8, 2024 – New York 98 vs. Orlando 74
- February 14, 2024 – Orlando 118 vs. New York 100
- January 15, 2024 – Orlando 98 vs. New York 94
- December 29, 2023 – Orlando 117 vs. New York 108
- March 23, 2023 – Orlando 111 vs. New York 106
- February 7, 2023 – New York 102 vs. Orlando 98
- October 24, 2022 – New York 115 vs. Orlando 102
- April 3, 2022 – New York 118 vs. Orlando 88
