3rd Quarter Report
Their last head-to-head back in March of 2023 was close, and so far it looks like that’s how the Suns and the Magic will finish this one. A win is still up for grabs for either team after three quarters, but the Suns are up 89-87 over the Magic.
If the Suns keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 17-15 in no time. On the other hand, the Magic will have to make due with a 19-13 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Orlando Magic @ Phoenix Suns
Current Records: Orlando 19-12, Phoenix 16-15
How To Watch
- When: Sunday, December 31, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Footprint Center — Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: Bally Sports Florida
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $42.71
What to Know
The Phoenix Suns will be playing at home against the Orlando Magic at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Footprint Center. The Suns have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last four games.
The matchup between the Suns and the Hornets on Friday hardly resembled the 105-91 effort from their previous meeting. Phoenix enjoyed a cozy 133-119 victory over Charlotte. Winning is a bit easier when your shooting is a whole 14.3% better than the opposition, as the Suns’ was.
The Suns’ victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Devin Booker, who scored 35 points along with seven assists. Kevin Durant was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 21 points and 11 assists.
Meanwhile, Orlando beat New York 117-108 on Friday. The victory was just what the Magic needed coming off of a 112-92 loss in their prior matchup.
The Magic can attribute much of their success to Paolo Banchero, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and ten rebounds, and Franz Wagner, who scored 32 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. Those 32 points set a new season-high mark for him. Less helpful for the Magic was Caleb Houstan’s abysmal 0-5 three-point shooting.
Phoenix now has a winning record of 16-15. As for Orlando, they have been performing well recently as they’ve won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-12 record this season.
Going forward, the Suns are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a six-game streak of failing to cover when playing as the favorites at home.
The Suns came out on top in a nail-biter against the Magic in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 116-113. Do the Suns have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Magic turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Phoenix is a solid 6-point favorite against Orlando, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Suns as a 5.5-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 230 points.
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Series History
Phoenix has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Orlando.
- Mar 16, 2023 – Phoenix 116 vs. Orlando 113
- Nov 11, 2022 – Orlando 114 vs. Phoenix 97
- Mar 08, 2022 – Phoenix 102 vs. Orlando 99
- Feb 12, 2022 – Phoenix 132 vs. Orlando 105
- Mar 24, 2021 – Orlando 112 vs. Phoenix 111
- Feb 14, 2021 – Phoenix 109 vs. Orlando 90
- Jan 10, 2020 – Phoenix 98 vs. Orlando 94
- Dec 04, 2019 – Orlando 128 vs. Phoenix 114
- Dec 26, 2018 – Phoenix 122 vs. Orlando 120
- Nov 30, 2018 – Orlando 99 vs. Phoenix 85
