Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Tips & Live Stream - Magic eye an easy route to the Playoffs

By Nemanja Dojcinovic

14 Apr 2025

Nemanja Dojcinovic14 Apr 2025

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Orlando Magic host the Hawks in the 7 vs. 8 Play-In game; winner advances to Playoffs.
Magic struggled with injuries; game-day status of key players Wagner and Banchero is crucial.
Hawks, led by Trae Young, finished strong; possess solid bench depth with LeVert and Daniels.

Hawks at Magic (Getty Image)

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Preview
Orlando Magic Form & Team News
Atlanta Hawks Form & Team News
Head to Head

Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Preview

The Orlando Magic will host the Atlanta Hawks in the 7 vs. 8 Play-In matchup in the Eastern Conference.

The winner will advance directly to the Playoffs, while the loser gets one more chance. Can Orlando make the most of their home-court advantage and punch their ticket to the first round?

Orlando Magic Form & Team News

It’s almost certain that Orlando had hoped for a much better regular season and a direct Playoff spot, not a barely positive 41-41 record.

There’s no doubt that injuries played a big role in that outcome — and they could pose a serious problem for the Magic in this Play-In as well.

During the season, they lost reliable shooting guard Jalen Suggs, who had to undergo knee surgery, and the same happened with Moritz Wagner.

On top of that, in the recent game against the Hawks, Cory Joseph and possibly the team’s two best players — Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero — were sidelined. It remains to be seen whether that was just a precaution ahead of this far more important matchup.

Banchero is averaging 26 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists this season, while Wagner is putting up 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

Atlanta Hawks Form & Team News

With three straight wins to close out the regular season, the Atlanta Hawks secured the 8th seed — a position that significantly improves their chances of reaching the Playoffs.

This way, they have two shots at getting in, with the first coming on the road in Orlando. The Hawks spent most of the season hovering around this part of the Eastern Conference standings, so it’s no surprise to see them in the Play-In.

Trae Young remains the team’s leader, averaging 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game, but it seems like he has more help around him this year.

Dyson Daniels and Caris LeVert provide valuable scoring off the bench, while key rotation players like De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, and Obi Toppin are expected to step up.

The Hawks finished the regular season with a 40-42 record, just one win behind their upcoming opponent.

Head to Head

These two teams faced off in the final game of the regular season, with the Hawks cruising to a 117-105 win on their home court. However, that result should be taken with a grain of salt, as neither side featured players from their usual starting lineups.

Verdict

ATL Hawks @ ORL Magic

In what’s expected to be a tightly contested matchup — especially with the possibility of the Magic missing some of their key players — predicting a winner won’t be easy. The Hawks will have a second chance if they lose, but they’ll be fully focused on closing it out right away.

The smartest betting angle here might be the under, as the importance of the game is likely to slow down the pace and tighten up the defenses.