Magic vs. Hawks prediction: NBA picks, odds, best bets Monday

Monday night might be the last time the NBA can capture most of the national attention from the sports world with college basketball set to take over television for the rest of the week.

Adam Silver and the schedulers made sure to capitalize on that fact with a trio of great games on streaming and the slate tips off with the red-hot Magic in Atlanta to face the even hotter Hawks.

Magic vs. Hawks prediction, best bet

The Hawks have won nine straight games thanks in part to a soft schedule that featured two games against the Nets, Wizards and Bucks, plus games against the Mavericks and Trail Blazers.

The Nets and Wizards have already been eliminated from the postseason, the Bucks and Mavs aren’t far behind and the Blazers at best look like a decent play-in test for someone in the Western Conference.

The Magic played a much tougher schedule with wins over a fringe conference finals contenders like the Timberwolves and Cavaliers. The Magic faced some of the same dregs of the league during that stretch as well, but their run looks more realistic.

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Paolo Banchero took a while to find himself in the Magic offense after missing a 10-game stretch early in the season. It was a struggle for him to reintegrate his game to fit in with Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, and even with Wagner out, Banchero still didn’t consistently click with his teammates on the floor.

It’s safe to say things are clicking now.

Jalen Suggs #4 of the Orlando Magic steals the ball from Khris Middleton #20 of the Dallas Mavericks. Getty Images

Banchero is averaging 25.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists over his last 13 games and the Magic are 10-3 in that stretch. It also helps that they have Jalen Suggs back on the floor providing defense at the point of attack and playmaking on the offensive end.

Orlando is finally looking like a version of the team many thought they could be before the season tipped and have a great chance to show a confident Hawks team the difference between beating the tanking teams and competing against teams bound for the postseason.

I’ll bet the Magic to keep their streak rolling in A-Town.

The Play: Magic moneyline +120 (DraftKings)

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Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.