Orlando Magic vs Houston Rockets Prediction: Rockers roster seems more impressive

Orlando and Houston were picked #1 and #3 in the recent NBA Draft, respectively, so the battle between these teams in the Summer League looks particularly intriguing. Which rookie from the best league in the world will bring a win for his club — Paolo Banchero or Jabari Smith?

Orlando Magic

The Magic could be just about finished rebuilding and fighting for at least a playoff spot in the regular season, even though they were the worst team in the East last season. The team will still preview quite a few young players in Summer League, and only R.J. Hampton from last year's main lineup will play right now. Paolo Banchero looks more NBA-ready than any rookie at this point: The Italian was one of Duke's leaders, averaging 17.2 points. Of the basketball players the club has drafted, Caleb Houstan, who was highly touted in high school but has slowed down in college, is also noteworthy.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets finished last in the Western Conference last season, and the club is slowly rejuvenating the roster. Josh Christopher, a Summer League pick in Las Vegas, put up some big plays last season covering for his injured teammates, and Usman Garuba will also be on the floor as a sophomore. Of course, all eyes will be on the No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith, who was considered the top contender for the No. 1 pick. Jabari is good on both ends of the floor, and the young big man made 42% of his three-pointers in games for the university. It will also be interesting to look at Tari Eason and TyTy Washington, both 1st round picks. The latter could very well compete for the role of starting point guard. Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. are not scheduled to play in the Summer League, of course, but Houston's roster looks solid even without them.

Head-to-head encounters

A little under a year ago, the teams faced off in Summer League and Orlando defeated Houston 89-76. As for preseason and regular-season games, the Rockets and Magic won four times each.

Expert Betting Tips

One of Jabari Smith's biggest advantages over Paolo Banchero is defense under the basket. The Houston rookie will likely be highly motivated before a game against a team that passed him up in the draft, and the Rockets' roster otherwise looks more solid than the Magic's. Jalen Suggs played for Orlando last year and was the most prolific player on the team, but now he's not in the roster.

Here are the betting options for you to consider:

• W2 (incl. OT) for 1.85;
• TO (170.5) for 2.372;
• H2 (-2.5) for 2.144.

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