The Orlando Magic (7-6) and Houston Rockets (8-3) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST from Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The game will be broadcast live on SCHN.
The Rockets are 8.5-point favorites over the Magic on the spread (Rockets -8.5), with the over/under set at 225.5 total points. Houston is a -310 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Orlando is +260 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Magic vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, November 16.
My Magic vs Rockets Prediction
- Magic vs Rockets pick: Rockets -8.5
My Rockets vs Magic best bet is on Houston to cover the spread, with the best price currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Magic vs Rockets Odds
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -105 | 225.5 -110o / -110u | +260 |
| Rockets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -115 | 225.5 -110o / -110u | -310 |
Magic vs Rockets NBA Preview
The Houston Rockets enter Sunday’s matchup as 8-point home favorites over the Orlando Magic. Both teams come in riding momentum.
Orlando has won three straight, including a 105-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Franz Wagner led with 25 points, and rookie Tristan da Silva delivered his best performance of the season with 22 points and nine rebounds in his first start.
Paolo Banchero remains out with a strained left groin, and his continued absence limits Orlando’s offensive creation and defensive versatility.
Houston has also won three in a row and continues to trend upward, taking eight of its last nine overall. The Rockets are coming off a dominant 140-116 win over Portland in NBA Cup play, powered by 30 points from Kevin Durant and a near-triple-double from Alperen Sengun (25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists).
Magic vs Rockets Prediction, Betting Analysis
This matchup fits cleanly into Evan Abrams’ Rebounding Home Favs system—one that targets home favorites in strong rebounding form.
These teams typically convert their interior edge into second-chance points, control pace, and maintain an ATS-friendly profile at home.
Early and midseason windows especially reward teams with sustained energy and board dominance, and Houston checks those boxes. The Rockets aren’t an elite-tier team in the market’s eyes, but their consistency, physicality, and home-court stability make them exactly the kind of undervalued favorite the system is designed to identify.
With the Magic missing Banchero and relying heavily on Wagner for shot creation, Orlando’s margin for error shrinks significantly on the road—particularly against a team that punishes opponents on the glass.
Pick: Rockets -8.5 (-115)
Rockets vs Magic Betting Trends
