Pelicans vs Magic Prediction, Odds & Game Preview 3/13/2025

The Orlando Magic head into the Smoothie King Center desperate to halt their recent slide, having dropped seven of their last nine games while clinging to the Eastern Conference's eighth seed.

Both teams enter Thursday's matchup with glaring issues - Orlando's usually stout defense has shown cracks lately, while New Orleans continues to surrender a concerning 119 points per game despite Zion Williamson's consistent offensive production.

The Magic dominated the first meeting with a 115-88 blowout win, but this shapes up as a different challenge as the home team Pelicans take on the road-weary Magic in what could be a season-defining game for both squads.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic preview

The struggling Orlando Magic head to the Smoothie King Center looking to snap out of their recent funk that's seen them drop four of their last five games, putting their playoff positioning at risk.

While the Magic's elite defense has been their calling card - allowing a league-best 106 points per game - their offense has been downright anemic, sitting dead last in scoring at just 104.3 points per contest.

The young duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner has been a bright spot for Orlando, with both forwards averaging over 24 points per game, though Wagner's recent cold stretch has coincided with the team's slump.

On the flip side, the Pelicans are fresh off an impressive home win against the Clippers, where their offense clicked behind Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum's steady scoring punch.

The first meeting between these teams was all Magic, as they dominated in a 115-88 blowout, but New Orleans has shown more fight at home lately, going 3-2 in their last five at the Smoothie King Center.

Keep an eye on the three-point battle - the Magic's 25th-ranked perimeter defense could be exploited by the Pelicans' shooters, particularly Trey Murphy II, who's been scorching hot hitting 50% from the field in three of his last four games.

The absence of Jalen Suggs for Orlando and Dejounte Murray for New Orleans adds another wrinkle to this cross-conference matchup, forcing both teams to dig deeper into their benches.

With the Magic desperate to maintain their playoff positioning and the Pelicans looking to build on their recent home success, this one shapes up to be more competitive than their first meeting might suggest.