Category: Basketball

Basketball News

Posted on

Magic vs. Wizards Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for March 21

It’s Friday, March 21, and the Orlando Magic (32-38) and Washington Wizards (15-53) are all set to square off from Capital One Arena in Washington.

The Magic are currently 14-21 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Wizards have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. Orlando has won both meetings this season by 20 and 27 points. This is the third of four matchups.

Washington lost the past two games and four of the previous six, while Orlando is 3-3 in the previous six contests.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

Game details & how to watch Magic vs. Wizards live today

  • Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
  • Time: 7:00PM EST
  • Site: Capital One Arena
  • City: Washington, DC
  • Network/Streaming:

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Magic vs. Wizards

The latest odds as of Friday:

  • Odds: Magic (-309), Wizards (+247)
  • Spread:  Magic -7.5
  • Over/Under: 216 points

That gives the Magic an implied team point total of 110.83, and the Wizards 106.92.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Magic vs. Wizards game

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Magic to cover:

"In two meetings this year, Orlando did not play with its food one bit when it came to Washington. With two 20-plus point wins, the Magic should earn another double-digit victory against the Wizards if they want to stay in the play-in tournament. Orlando currently sits as the No. 8 seed and Washington is ahead of Utah for the worst record in the NBA, something they're likely to hold onto. It's Magic or pass."

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Magic & Wizards game:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Orlando Magic on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at +7.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 216.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Magic vs. Wizards on Friday

  • The Magic have won their last 3 matchups against divisional opponents
  • Each of the Magic's last 8 games at the Wizards have gone over the Total
  • The Magic have covered in 4 of their last 5 road games
  • The Magic have won 8 straight games against the Wizards

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

Posted on

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts to change in team ownership

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts to change in team ownership originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics will have a new owner soon.

An investment group led by Massachusetts native Bill Chisholm — the managing director and co-founder of private equity firm Symphony Technology Group — has agreed to purchase a majority of the team at a $6.1 billion valuation.

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck will stay on as CEO and governor of the team through the 2027-28 season.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacted to the news in an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand show Friday morning.

“I just spoke to (Chisholm) yesterday, briefly, but that was a good conversation,” Mazzula said.

“I think it’s two-fold, right? I think you’re grateful for what our ownership has done up until this point, and it kind of goes back to what we’ve always talked about is, the Celtics have always been in great hands. And the people who have either coached, played, owned it and been a part of it have left it in a better place.

“I think Wyc and (Steve Pagliuca) have done that, and now we transition into Bill and his group and Wyc still being there, but it’s great that we have someone that is from the area and has a passion and commitment to just keep pushing the Celtics forward and trying to make it the best it can be. He shares that, and I’m looking forward to growing our relationship with him.”

The Celtics have won two championships since the Grousbeck family bought the team in 2002, including last year’s league record 18th title in franchise history.

The C’s are in a good position to win another one this season. They entered Friday with a 50-19 record, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

They start a six-game road trip Friday against the Utah Jazz.

Posted on

Bronny talked about improvement then on Thursday showed it off scoring 17 on 7-of-10 shooting

Milwaukee Bucks v Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 20: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

"I definitely think I've improved, not only as a player, but just having a different mindset as a player to go out and play my game and play the game that I know how to play. I feel really good about it — I see the progress."

Bronny James talked about his improvement, then went out and showed it on Thursday. Going against the Milwaukee Bucks on a night the Lakers were shorthanded (no LeBron James or Luka Doncic), Bronny had a career-high 17 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, plus five assists in 30 minutes of action.

That's a career-high for Bronny, but what's more important is the efficiency of his shot. It's a sign of progress (although he was a team-worst -36), which is all the Lakers have asked of him this season. The Lakers drafted Bronny with the No. 55 pick — a spot deep in the draft where few players ever make the league — and locked him up on a cheap contract. He was a project and the Lakers were all in on giving him a chance (even if they drafted him to please LeBron, give Bronny credit for taking advantage of his opportunity and putting in the work).

The issue had been Bronny's handles and shot, and while he has to show he can be this guy consistently, what we saw Thursday was a positive sign. He's not going to get a lot of time on the court once the Lakers get healthy, or in the playoffs, but it's about stacking good days for Bronny and improving his game to the point J.J. Redick has to play him. For Bronny, Thursday was a good day.

The shorthanded Lakers still lost the game to the Bucks 118-89, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way with 28 points.

Posted on

How Warriors tied franchise history with successful homestand

How Warriors tied franchise history with successful homestand originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There is nothing quite like home.

The Warriors proved that to be true during their recent impressive homestand, in which they went 6-1 and improved to 41-29 on the season.

Golden State’s six wins and one loss over that seven-game stretch tied its franchise record.

The victories came over the Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and, most recently, the Toronto Raptors.

Golden State’s lone loss at Chase Center during that near two-week stretch came at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, who pulled off a stunning victory playing without Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

The momentum came at the perfect time for the Warriors battling to stay in the top-six seed in the wild Western Conference. They currently hold a 1.5-game advantage over the No. 7 Los Angeles Clippers, and they are creeping two games behind the fifth-place Memphis Grizzlies with 12 games remaining in the regular season.

After they wrapped up a successful homestand, the Warriors now will embark on a six-game road trip as the playoff race continues to tighten.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Posted on

Warriors share positive Steph injury update before six-game road trip

Warriors share positive Steph injury update before six-game road trip originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Take a sigh of relief, Dub Nation.

An MRI on Warriors superstar Steph Curry confirmed he sustained a pelvic contusion but no structural damage, the team shared in a release Friday morning.

Curry won’t travel with the team as it begins a six-game road trip Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks, and he has been ruled out of the game.

He will be re-evaluated Monday.

Curry sustained the injury during the third quarter of Golden State’s win over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night after he had a scary fall under the basket. The star guard immediately grabbed his lower back in pain and went to Golden State’s locker room shortly after.

The Warriors later ruled Curry out of the game with a pelvic contusion. He finished the game with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 2 of 4 from 3-point range.

In Year 16, Curry is averaging 24.2 points on 44.7-percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent from long-range, with 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes through 60 games this season.

After the Hawks, the Warriors will face the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers before returning home on April 4 to face the Denver Nuggets.

Entering the road trip, Golden State is 41-29 and sixth in the Western Conference after an impressive 6-1 homestand.

The Heat are 11 games under .500 and on a nine-game losing streak. The Pelicans have a 19-51 record, and the Spurs are just above them in the Western Conference standings.

Golden State has the fourth-easiest remaining schedule in the West, per Tankathon, so the Warriors likely will be extra cautious with their superstar while banking on their other leaders, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, and key role players, to step up in Curry’s indefinite absence to ensure he’s fresh and ready to go come playoff time.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast