Indiana Pacers vs Orlando Magic Preview & Picks - 1/4/2026
Updated January 4, 2026
Updated January 4, 2026
The Indiana Pacers will try to snap a massive losing streak when they visit the Orlando Magic on Sunday, afternoon. Indiana enters this one having dropped 11 consecutive games and sitting with the worst record in the NBA at 6-29. Meanwhile, the Magic are comfortably above .500 at 19-16 and looking to improve their position in the Eastern Conference standings. Here, I break down this Eastern Conference matchup and bring you my Pacers vs Magic prediction for Sunday's game.
Pick: | Magic -6.5 |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
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Indiana has struggled mightily this season, losing 11 straight and ranking at the bottom of the league. The Pacers have been beset by long-term absences, including Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), Bennedict Mathurin (thumb), and Isaiah Jackson (concussion). That has left Pascal Siakam as the centerpiece of a depleted roster for most of the season. The Indiana offense has sputtered and defensive consistency has been lacking.
Orlando has been solid at home with an 11-5 record at Kia Center. The Magic are in a comfortable position in the Eastern Conference play-in picture and could move into the top six in the East after today's games are completed. They are slightly underperforming with a 4-6 record in the last 10 games, but the Magic still possess size and scoring balance to control this game if they execute.
Injuries are impacting the Magic as well as the Pacers. Guard Jalen Suggs has been ruled out indefinitely with a knee contusion, and forward Franz Wagner is sidelined with an ankle issue, hurting Orlando’s starting lineup. Moritz Wagner is also out, making Tyus Jones and Paolo Banchero more critical to the Magic’s success. Banchero has been a consistent offensive threat and is expected to shoulder a large scoring load in this one.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Paolo Banchero | Over 26.5 Points |
Pascal Siakam | Under 26.5 Points |
Tyus Jones | Over 4.5 Assists |
Score Projection: Indiana Pacers 107 – Orlando Magic 120
Win Probability: Indiana Pacers 29%, Orlando Magic 71%
I am going to lay the points with the Orlando Magic in this contest against the Indiana Pacers. Indiana has lost 11 straight games. More importantly, they are without Haliburton and Mathurin, which places way too much of the scoring workload on Siakam. I'm expecting the Magic to throw everything they have at Siakam on defense and for the Magic to hand Indy a 12th straight defeat.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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