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The scouting report on the Orlando Magic is no mystery—they struggle from beyond the arc.
That trend has carried into the first two games of their Round 1 series with the Detroit Pistons. Orlando, a 34% three-point shooting team on the season, has gone just 18-for-66 from deep (27%) as the series shifts back home for Game 3.
With the Magic unable to consistently punish defenses from outside, Detroit has been content to pack the paint and essentially dare Orlando to knock down perimeter shots.
Even so, our Pistons vs. Magic predictions aren’t completely fading Orlando’s outside game. In fact, our NBA picks see value in Jalen Suggs breaking out of the slump and finding his rhythm from deep at home on Saturday.
Pistons vs Magic prediction
Who will win Pistons vs Magic Game 3?
Pistons: The Detroit Pistons took six quarters to wake up from their slumber and looked like the top seed in the East in the final 24 minutes of Game 2. Detroit’s defense swarmed the Orlando Magic and flipped those stops and long rebounds into easy buckets on the other end. This spread is tight but gives the Pistons the nod as road chalk – a role that’s produced a 20-11 SU record this season.
Pistons vs Magic best bet: Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes (+102)
The Detroit Pistons know the Orlando Magic can’t make them pay from the perimeter and have given their first-round foes nothing but clean air on the outside.
Of the 66 3-point attempts taken by the Magic through two games, 62 have come with no Detroit defender within at least four feet, including 29 long-range looks qualifying as “wide open” with no Pistons player within six feet of the shooter. Orlando has made only 16 of those open 3PAs.
Jalen Suggs is the Magic’s most consistent 3-point threat and has gone 3 for 10 from distance in each of the first two playoff contests. Nineteen of his total 20 shots from downtown have been either “open” or “wide open” with Suggs making good on just five of those attempts.
However, with the series swinging to the Kia Center this weekend, Suggs will make the Pistons pay for their passive perimeter patrol.
Alliteration aside, Suggs’ shooting sees a surge at home, with his 3-point success jumping from less than 30% on the road to 37.4% in Orlando. He attempts the same number of 3-pointers at home vs. away (6.3) but makes 2.4 triples inside the Kia Center compared to 1.9 in enemy gyms.
Game 3 projections aren’t bullish on Suggs’ shooting, pegging him for two 3-point makes. But with Detroit keeping its heels below the arc and Suggs shooting almost double his usual 3PAs, the opportunity is there to hit at least three treys – especially when you consider his shooting splits at home and a game script that has Orlando playing from behind.
Pistons vs Magic same-game parlay
The Pistons finally got dialed in on defense in the second half of Game 2, and that travels to Orlando on Saturday. Detroit is one of the best road teams in the NBA, with a 28-13 SU record as a visitor.
Tobias Harris has put up scores of 16 and 17 points in the first two games while shooting a collective 12 for 32, including 1 for 10 from beyond the arc. That catches up with him on the road, with projections short of 16 points in Game 3.
Pistons vs Magic SGP
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Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
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Tobias Harris Under 15.5 points
Our “from downtown” SGP: Raiders of the Lost (3-Point) Arc
In a series featuring physical defense, these 3-point threats get hot and help push the final score past this low total. Duncan Robinson and Suggs have each made three triples in the first two games of this Round 1 series.
Pistons vs Magic SGP
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Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
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Duncan Robinson Over 2.5 made threes
Pistons vs Magic odds for Game 3
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Spread: Pistons -2.5 | Magic +2.5
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Moneyline: Pistons -150 | Magic +125
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Over/Under: Over 214 | Under 214
Pistons vs Magic betting trend to know
The Detroit Pistons cashed in on the moneyline in 28 of their last 40 away games (+11.50 Units/9% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Magic.
How to watch Pistons vs Magic Game 3
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Location |
Kia Center, Orlando, FL |
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Date |
Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
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Tip-off |
1:00 p.m. ET |
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TV |
Peacock |
Pistons vs Magic latest injuries
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