After the Orlando Magic leaped out to a 3-1 series lead in the opening round, the Detroit Pistons are doing their best to scrap back and extend their season. These Eastern Conference opponents will face off again Friday night in the 1 vs. 8 opening-round matchup. The actin tips off in Orlando, where the Magic look to advance to the second round for the first time since 2010.

You can check out a preview for the full Magic vs. Pistons series on DraftKings Network here.

The Pistons enter as 3.5-point favorites with -170 moneyline odds for Game 6 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Magic sit as a +142 underdog, with the game total set at 210.5 points.

---

Magic vs. Pistons preview

After an underwhelming regular season, the Orlando Magic flipped the switch in the playoffs and looked like the team they were designed to be. The organization made the all-in push this offseason by trading for Desmond Bane and is reaping the benefits in the postseason setting. Their path is not as clear as they would hope, as Orlando finished as the eighth seed across the regular season with a 45-37 overall record. They lost to the 76ers in the first play-in matchup before blowing out the Hornets to earn this playoff opportunity. The Magic have gone 39-45 against the spread, and the game total has gone 44-40 to the over/under.

Franz Wagner has been ruled out for Friday’s Game 6 matchup due to a calf injury. Wagner has battled injuries all year and was limited to just 34 regular-season games, during which he averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Jonathan Isaac is considered doubtful for Friday night with a left knee sprain. Paolo Banchero will continue to be looked at to lead the offense, after averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game across the regular season and coming off a 45-point eruption in Game 5. Desmond Bane has stepped up as a leader and floor spacer as designed, adding 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 39.1% on three-point attempts. Anthony Black has enjoyed a breakout season, while the likes of Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., Tristan da Silva, and Goga Bitadze play key roles as well.

Jamahl Mosley’s squad averages 115.7 points per game, which ranks 15th in the league. It also ranks 19th in offensive rating, 21st in field-goal percentage and 27th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.1 points per game against Orlando, which ranks 13th in the league. The Magic also rank 11th in defensive rating, 19th in opponent field-goal percentage and 11th in opponent three-point percentage.

After a stellar regular season in which they led the Eastern Conference from wire-to-wire and finished with a 66-22 record, the Pistons have hit some playoff adversity. Detroit did enough to stay alive in Game 5 and will need to replicate this effort again on Friday. Not having a secondary creator alongside Cade Cunningham was always a concern, and Detroit has been punished for it in this series. Detroit also went 44-38 against the spread this season, and the game total also remained under in 44 of their 82 games. 

Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter are the lone players on the injury report, each listed as questionable for Game 6. Harris is dealing with a left ankle sprain, while Huerter is suffering from a left adductor strain. Cade Cunningham battled a collapsed lung at the tail end of the season but returned for the final three regular-season games and has largely looked like himself in the postseason. The former No. 1 pick leads the Pistons with 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds on the season. Jalen Duren made an All-Star leap alongside him, posting averages of 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on the season, but he has greatly struggled in this series. Daniss Jenkins has been a breakout impact player this year, while Tobias Harris provides veteran leadership to the young roster. Ausar Thompson, Kevin Huerter, Duncan Robinson and Ron Holland also play notable roles.

Detroit is scoring 117.8 points per game this season, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Pistons also rank 10th in offensive rating, third in field-goal percentage and 17th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 109.6 points per game against the Pistons, which ranks third in the league. J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad also ranks second in defensive rating, third in opponent field-goal percentage and first in opponent three-point percentage.

Series Takeaways

The Pistons opened this series as a -425 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, and these odds have now shifted greatly. Entering Game 6, the Pistons are now +105 underdogs to advance to the second round while the Magic hold -125 odds of winning the series.

Orlando leaped out to a 1-0 series lead by producing a 112-101 win in Game 1. The Magic led for 97% of the matchup, stretching the lead to as many as 13 despite shooting just 29% on three-point attempts. Orlando won outright as an 8.5-point underdog and proved capable of matching Detroit’s physicality.

The Pistons got back in the win column in Game 2, in a 98-83 rock fight. Orlando shot just 33% from the field and 25% on three-point attempts, while Detroit connected on 46% of its shot attempts and 23% from the perimeter. The Pistons won the rebounding battle 57-42 and covered the 8.5-point spread.

In Game 3, the Magic got back on top with a 113-105 win. Orlando won the rebounding battle and stretched the lead to as many as 17, leading for 79% of the overall matchup. The Magic won outright as 2.5-point underdogs. In the series, the game total has gone under twice, but it went over in the previous matchup.

It was a defensive battle in Game 4 as well. The Magic secured a 94-88 win and led for 72% of the matchup. Both teams extended a lead to 10 points or greater, and each side shot below 40% from the field and 26% or worse from beyond the arc. Orlando once again proved capable of matching Detroit’s physicality, and the Pistons lacked enough offense down the stretch.

Detroit showed the necessary desperation to remain alive in Game 5, securing a 116-109 win. They got back to their identity, out-rebounding Orlando 49-33, outscoring them 48-36 in the paint, and led wire-to-wire. Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero went toe-to-toe in a battle between the former number one overall pick, each scoring 45 points. But Cunningham proved to have enough in the tank to lead his team to a victory and extend the series.

Detroit has largely overwhelmed teams this season with its size and physicality. But the Magic have proven capable of matching this and looked like the team they have hoped to be all year. Orlando has changed the way they should be viewed with their play in this series. However, consistency has been near the top of their list of biggest issues all season, and their margin for error further slipped following the Game 5 loss.

Across the series, the Pistons are 4-1 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in three of the five games.

Magic vs. Pistons Game 6 prediction, best bet

Detroit defended its home arena in the Game 5 win and looked more like the team they have been all season. Cade Cunningham answered the call, willing his team to a win and proving he had enough creativity to get to his spots against a strong Magic defense. He must be ready to take on the challenge again for the Pistons to remain alive. This is especially the case as Jalen Duren’s struggles have continued, with the All-Star big man posting measly averages of 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds across the series. If Cunningham does not have a strong scoring performance, the pathway to a win is extremely narrow — if not impossible.

However, the injury to Franz Wagner shakes things up for the Magic. Offensive creation has been an issue for Orlando this season as well. Wagner has failed to remain on the floor consistently this year, but his skill set is necessary for this team to perform at its best. The Magic got a 19-point performance from Anthony Black off the bench in the previous game. But outside of the 45 points from Banchero and 18 from Bane, no other Magic player scored more than 10 points. Wagner has some shooting flaws, and the team has struggled to maximize its overall talent when he has been on the floor with Banchero this season. But his skillset is still required for this team to reach its peak.

My lean is toward the Pistons covering the 3.5-point spread to keep their season alive. This team has handled adversity well all year, and it found a more offensive rhythm in the previous game than it has all series. The 116 points scored in the previous game are the most Detroit has scored across the five games, and it was also their most efficient shooting performance from the field and arc.

However, I am backing the game total to remain under for the fourth time in this series. Both these teams lean on a defensive mindset for success. Each is capable of completely shutting down its opponent, and expect a full-scale effort from both sides, given the context of this matchup. Detroit will be fighting desperately to keep its season alive, while Orlando will be doing everything possible to punch their ticket to the second round and avoid a Game 7 on the road. 

The game total has finished at 213, 181, 218, 182, and 225 through the first five games of this series. For Detroit, the under has hit at a 54.8% rate when they have played on the road this season. Injuries will also be a factor to keep an eye on as the day progresses. Wagner takes away a valuable option for the Magic, and if Tobias Harris is unable to go or limited in any way, it will be a major hit to the Pistons’ offensive output. Harris is averaging 19.8 points per game across this series, joining Cunningham as the only Pistons player scoring more than 11 points per contest.

Expect a full-scale effort from both sides and for this to show on the defensive end. Scoring is not at a premium for either side, and expect a slow-paced half-court matchup Friday night in which both sides have a chance of being held under 100 points. Buckle up for some old-school basketball and for the 210.5-point line to be too ambitious, based on the styles of these teams and the weight of the moment.

Best Bet: Game Total Under 210.5 (-110)