Saturday, February 28

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NBA

Orlando (42-16, 36-21-1 ATS) at Philadelphia (29-28, 27-28-2 ATS)

The Magic look to knock off the 76ers for the third straight time this season and the fourth time in a row going back to last year when these Eastern Conference foes clash at the Wachovia Center.

Both teams were in action last night, with Orlando suffering a stunning 93-85 home loss to slumping Detroit as a 9½-point home favorite while the 76ers wrapped up a three-game, seven-day road trip with a 108-103 win at New York as a two-point underdog.

The Magic are now 6-6 SU and 5-7 ATS in their last 12 games after going on a 19-4 run from mid-December through the end of January. Also, they’re 5-7 ATS slump comes on the heels of a 21-5 ATS tear.

Philadelphia has followed up a four-game SU and five-game ATS backslide by going 2-0 SU and ATS in its last two, both on the road. The Sixers are on a 16-8 SU run and they’re 14-9-2 ATS in their last 25. Also, they’ve won 12 of their last 17 home games (9-6-2 ATS).

Orlando beat the Sixers twice in a 20-day span in November, wining 98-88 as a five-point home chalk on Nov. 6, then going to Philly and eking out a 96-94 victory as a five-point road underdog on Nov. 26. The Magic have won three in a row SU and ATS and are 7-1 in the last eight meetings (5-3 ATS), including 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in their last four as a visitor. Going back several seasons, the underdog is on a 23-10 ATS run in this rivalry, and Orlando has cashed in 11 of its last 15 trips to the Wachovia Center.

The Magic, who still own the second-best pointspread mark in the NBA, are on ATS runs of 35-18-1 overall, 15-6 on the road, 40-18-1 on Saturday, 7-4 against the Eastern Conference, 8-3 versus Atlantic Division foes and 6-2 when playing on back-to-back nights. Philadelphia is on ATS surges of 30-14 on Saturday, 9-4 against winning teams and 6-1-1 versus the Southeast Division.

Orlando sports “over” trends of 5-2 overall, 10-4 on the highway, 5-2 on Saturday and 4-2 when playing within the Eastern Conference.

The under for the 76ers is on runs of 6-3-1 overall, 36-16-1 at home, 6-2-1 on Saturday and 6-2 when playing on no rest. Also, the two meetings between these teams this season stayed under the total, and the under is 3-1 in the last four battles (2-0 in Philadelphia).

ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO

Al DeMarco, General Manager of PickNation.com and the featured handicapping analyst on SportsNet New York’s Daily News Live, is a 25-year veteran of the handicapping industry. Read his Daily Blog for his gambling insight, tips and observations at PickNation.com