Dallas Mavericks vs Orlando Magic | Preview, Odds, Free Pick

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2010 – NBA PICK

Dallas Mavericks (33-21) at Orlando Magic (37-18), 8 P.M. EST, TV: ESPN

The Dallas Mavericks, the the first-place team in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division, will travel to Orlando to take on the Magic , the first-place team in the Eastern’s Southeast Division, at Amway Arena.

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This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Their were few bigger players than the Dallas Mavericks on the NBA’s trade deadline, with the Mavs shipping team cancer Josh Howard to Washington and adding Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to their rotation. What’s best to remember right now is that it is going to be impossible to gauge what Butler and Haywood’s effect will be in Dallas for a few weeks, if not a month, because it will take some time for them to gel with their new teammates. That might mean some disheartening losses.

More and more, the Magic are starting to emerge as the top contender to Cleveland for the Eastern crown, which is strange because, yes, we do realize that the Magic are the defending conference champions. But don’t fool yourself that they’re the favorites. Not by a long shot. Expect the Magic to really start hitting their stride down the stretch run as Dwight Howard continues to add facets to his already expolosive game.

The odds makers have the Magic at -6 ½ -point favorites.

Dallas needs to get Butler in sync with the offense in a hurry, because he hasn’t shot well as of late and will be the main player counted on to replace Howard’s almost 20 points per game. Orlando has won four of five, with the only loss coming to the Cavs. They’re the very best of the rest in the East right now.

Look for Orlando to make short work of a Dallas team trying to find its way and win by 10.

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