Free Pick | NBA | Thursday | Jan. 23

Nelly’s is 19-9 since Jan. 7 in basketball picks – play 2-for-1 in college basketball tonight!

#562 Orlando Magic -7.5 over Portland Trail Blazers 6:10 PM CT

The Magic have dropped four games in a row and are only 1-5 S/U since Paolo Banchero returned. The losses have come against the Bucks twice, Celtics, and Nuggets, before Tuesday’s less noble result at Toronto. The Magic are still 14-8 S/U at home and Orlando is 16-8 ATS as a favorite this season, including 11-4 ATS as a home favorite and 7-2 ATS when laying eight or more points. The roster is limited right now with Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Goga Bitadze unlikely to play tonight, though Wagner has been upgraded to questionable. Portland is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time in 2025, beating the Bulls at home Sunday and then winning in Miami Tuesday against the dysfunctional Heat. This is a second straight game in Florida with Portland winning three consecutive games just once this season and that was a stretch of three home games back in early November. The Blazers are likely to be shorthanded as well with Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons questionable. Toumani Camara and Kris Murray are also day-to-day as a team that only had eight players on the court more than six minutes Tuesday could be quite thin Thursday. Portland has had some recent ATS success in Orlando, but these teams don’t play that often and the line was +17 when the Blazers covered in Orlando last April. The Magic have improved dramatically in the past two seasons and while this team isn’t at full strength, this is a matchup and situation that should be favorable for a comfortable win to snap the recent slide.