Orlando Magic vs Toronto Raptors Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Opening Week

Both teams lost their best player this week. Paolo Banchero is out for Orlando and Kawhi Leonard is out for Toronto, and what is left is a test of depth. Toronto's remaining core has defended at an elite level through three games, and Orlando's has to invent an offense on the fly.

The Matchup

Toronto is 2-1, and the defense has been the story. The Raptors allow 103.7 points per game this season, one of the best marks in the league, while scoring 113.7 themselves.

Kawhi Leonard is out tonight with inflammation in his left knee, a return expected around November 23, so the offense runs through RJ Barrett, who leads Toronto at 21.0 points per game, and Scottie Barnes, who leads the team at 7.7 rebounds per game. Immanuel Quickley runs the point at 5.0 assists per game. Toronto went 46-36 last season and has the deeper rotation of the two teams in this game.

Orlando is 1-2 and lost more than a game this week. Paolo Banchero is out tonight with a sprained right ankle, a return expected around November 22. He leads the Magic at 24.5 points and 7.5 assists per game, which tells the story plainly. He was the offense.

Jalen Suggs is also out with a right knee injury, and Jonathan Isaac is out with a left knee injury, so Orlando is missing its best scorer, its best creator and its best defensive forward in the same week. Wendell Carter Jr. leads the available Magic at 8.7 rebounds per game, and Franz Wagner has to carry a creation load he usually shares. Orlando went 45-37 last season with Banchero driving everything.

DraftKings makes Toronto a 4.5-point favorite at Scotiabank Arena, with a total of 223.5 that already reflects two missing stars.

Key Factors

Toronto's defense against an improvised offense is the center of the game. The Raptors can load up on Wagner, switch across the perimeter and dare Orlando's role players to beat them one on one. That is a miserable assignment for a team that was already scoring only 109.7 a game with Banchero. Orlando's half-court possessions will run late into the clock, and late-clock shots against a set defense are how favorites cover at home.

Barrett and Barnes give Toronto two creators who do not need plays called for them. Barnes in the open court and Barrett attacking closeouts produce points without Leonard, and Quickley keeps the pace honest. Orlando's defense is still long and physical, and the Magic will make Toronto work. Working is fine. Toronto needs ordinary efficiency, not a masterpiece.

The bench minutes lean the same way. Orlando's rotation behind its missing starters is young, and Toronto's home second unit has been a strength for two seasons. The stretch in the second quarter when Wagner sits is where this game is most likely to tilt, and it tilts toward the home team.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.