The Brooklyn Nets and the Orlando Magic are precariously perched on the seventh and eighth and spots, respectively, in the Eastern Conference. With both teams looking to strengthen their chances to join the postseason play, look for an intense and entertaining battle between these squads on Aug. 1 (2:30 AM Manila time).

HOME TEAM: Brooklyn Nets (30-34, 16-15 at home)

The Nets were rolling when the season got suspended back in March. Now, they are looking to pick up where they left off, as they won three games in a row before the coronavirus pandemic temporarily halted season. In their last game, the Nets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers at STAPLES Center, 104-102, behind Spencer Dinwiddie’s 23 points and DeAndre Jordan’s 12 boards.

The Nets are without their brightest stars at Disney World, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant opting to continue rehab of their respective injuries. Both players also didn’t play in the last game between the Nets and the Magic, which Orlando won in Brooklyn, 115-113, on Feb. 25. Instead, it was Dindwiddie who did most of the work for the Nets, as he put up 24 points, while Garrett Temple came off the bench and fired off 18 points.

The over is 6-4 in Brooklyn’s last 10 games as the home team.

ROAD TEAM: Orlando Magic (30-35, 14-20 on the road)

The Magic are another team that had their momentum in March stunted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the season’s pause, the Magic won three straight games on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, and Memphis Grizzlies. Big man Nikola Vucevic led the team during that stretch with an average of 21.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.

Also fantastic for Orlando last March was its reserves. The Magic’s bench sank an average of 6.8 threes in their last 12 games, in which the team won eight. Apart from Vucevic, look for Magic big man Mo Bamba to play a bigger role at Disney World, especially with head coach Steve Clifford recently alluding to the possibility of an expanded rotation, per NBA.com.

Bamba scored just five points in Orlando’s aforementioned win over Brooklyn, but he swatted away five shots in only 14 minutes of action. Speaking of which, the Magic are fourth in the league with 5.7 blocks per game.

The Magic are 4-0 ATS in their last four games.

PREDICTIONS:

The Magic have brought a deeper roster to Disney World than Brooklyn, and seemingly a more cohesive one. The Magic will win this game, 109-101.