Orlando Magic 2024-25 Season Preview, Predictions, & Odds

The Orlando Magic broke through last season and won the Southeast Division before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games during the first round of the NBA playoffs.

NBA futures odds are available at the BetMGM online sportsbook, including basketball betting odds for NBA champion, division winner, and player awards.

Orlando Magic Futures Odds

Win Total: 47.5

Southeast Division: -145

Eastern Conference: +1600

NBA Championship: +4000

The NBA betting market is showing the Magic plenty of respect heading into the season.

Orlando’s preseason odds of winning its division have a minus value for the first time since 2009-10. For comparison, the Magic were +700 before winning the division last year.

Orlando Magic Offseason Moves

The Magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66 million deal.

Orlando Magic Additions

Orlando Magic Departures

Orlando Magic 2024-25 Betting Prediction

Prediction: Over 47.5 Wins (-125)

I predict that the Magic will win over 47.5 games.

Paolo Banchero is quickly ascending into superstardom, as he averaged 22.6 points, 6,9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game last season after being named Rookie of the Year in 2022-23.

Paolo Banchero was a FORCE in the 1st half of Game 7 in Cleveland 🪄

24 PTS
8 REB
2 STL
2 3PM

Banchero has the most points EVER in the 1st half of a Game 7 by a player 21 years of age or younger 🤯 pic.twitter.com/yEw1z3OuCZ

— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2024

Banchero is adept at changing speeds and stopping on a dime on drives to the rim, shaking his defender off the crossover, finishing through contact, and getting to his spot to hit the pull-up mid-range or turnaround fadeaway jumper.

The amount of attention Banchero attracts on drives to the rim opens up his playmaking game, where he’ll feed cutters to the rim and use his 6-foot-10 frame to pass the ball over defenders in his way. He’s also great at reading the defence and kicking it out to shooters behind the arc or making the skip pass.

The Duke product is also excellent at cutting drivers’ access to the rim by sticking with them on the drive, either forcing them into tough shots or turnovers.

For Banchero to take that next step in his game, though, he’ll need to improve his 3-point shooting, as he averaged just 33.9% on 4.4 such attempts per game last season.

Franz Wagner excels at driving to the rim and cutting off the ball, and he’ll occasionally go to a stepback jumper, but his shot creation in the mid-range and 3-point shot could use some work if he wants to reach that next level. 

Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony will presumably handle the point guard duties, but the Magic will still probably look to have Banchero operate as the main ball-handler. 

Suggs made the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team and finished 10th in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, as his smothering on-ball defence and ability to play the passing lanes created headaches for his opponents.

Anthony saw his minutes get reduced last season due to the increase in talent around him, but he still provided a decent amount of production as a 3-point shooter, finisher at the rim, and playmaker.

Orlando ranked third in defensive rating last season, and given the amount of elite-level defenders this group possesses, the Magic should be able to replicate the same success on that end.

They can throw up any combinations featuring Banchero, Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, Wagner, Caldwell-Pope, and Wendell Carter Jr., which is going to present nightmares for their opponents since they can all clamp down on their assignments and force players into difficult shots or turnovers.

Carter Jr.’s defence at the rim, combined with his ability to body up bigs and guard more athletic forwards, will be especially useful. 

While Orlando is a very strong defensive unit, the Magic are not a strong 3-point shooting team whatsoever, ranking dead last in makes last season.

They hope KCP could come in and help stretch things out a bit, but he alone won’t be able to catapult this team into respectability from downtown. 

Ultimately, I think the Magic are a much better team this season than last and will win at least 48 games, but they’re probably at least a year away from being true title contenders, especially with their need to add more 3-point shooters.