Magic vs. Knicks Prediction, NBA Odds & Best Bets (10/25)

Fact checked at 8:56 AM ET, Oct 25, 2026

Odds as of 7:54 AM ET, Oct 25, 2026

Somebody gets a first win at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Orlando is 0-2 after home losses to Atlanta (132-125) and Minnesota (115-93), and now it is without Paolo Banchero, who has a right high ankle sprain expected to cost him multiple weeks. He scored 35 against the Hawks and 14 against the Timberwolves. New York is 0-2 too, beaten 106-100 at home by Philadelphia and 107-103 in Boston. The Knicks' problem is plain: 101.5 points a game over those two, the fewest in the league so far.

New York is a clear favorite at -7.5 (-110), down from -8.5 at the open even though the Banchero news was already out. The total is 224.5 and the moneyline is Knicks -300, Magic +240. Orlando is also missing Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson, with Anthony Black (ankle) questionable. Jose Alvarado (ankle) is questionable for New York. Both teams come in on one day of rest.

We see a slow, half-court game where the Knicks' offense keeps sputtering, Orlando hangs within the number and the points stay under. Tipoff is 7:00 PM ET.

Magic vs. Knicks Predictions

• Pick #1: Magic +7.5 (-110)
• Pick #2: Under 224.5 (-113)

PICK #1: Magic +7.5 (-110)

The Knicks haven't scored enough to beat anyone, let alone beat someone by eight. They put up 100 against Philadelphia and 103 in Boston and lost both. Mikal Bridges has four points in two games. In Boston it took six threes from Miles McBride off the bench just to keep it close.

The bigger bettors see it the same way. Orlando has 61% of the spread money on 48% of the bets, so the larger tickets are on the Magic even with Banchero out. The line has dropped a point since it opened, from -8.5 to -7.5, and that move came after his injury was public. The price implies a 52.4% chance, and with the Knicks this cold, we think Orlando stays within 7.5 more often than that.

The Magic covered 7.5 once in two tries, losing by seven to Atlanta. The 22-point loss to Minnesota did not come close.

Banchero is the worry. He played 41 minutes in the opener and had 35 points and 10 assists, and without him Orlando leans on Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. The Minnesota game showed how flat this team can look. If New York's shooting finally shows up at home, a double-digit Knicks win is a real possibility.

PICK #2: Under 224.5 (-113)

New York's two games finished with 206 and 210 points. The Knicks are scoring 101.5 a game in that two-game stretch, last in the league, and allowing 106.5, sixth-fewest. Even in Boston, where Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and McBride all scored 20 or more, they topped out at 103.

Orlando's offense is the bigger change. Banchero carried it in the opener, and now his shots and his playmaking get spread across a group that has been streaky: Bane is 4-of-19 from three this season, and Tristan da Silva went 1-of-7 against Minnesota. Without Banchero the Magic don't have many players who can create their own shot.

Three of the four games these teams have played this season went under 224.5. At -113 you need this to land 53.1% of the time, and the total hasn't moved from where it opened.

Orlando's defense is what could ruin it. The Magic have allowed 123.5 points a game over two games, and Atlanta's 132 in the opener made for a 257-point night. If the Knicks get going against that defense, this can go over in a hurry. It's also the popular side, with 78% of the bets and 78% of the money on the Under.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.