The red hot Magic will look to stay on track tonight as they host the fading Rockets at the Amway Center in Orlando. The two teams are scheduled to tip things off at 8:00pm ET this evening on ESPN. NBA Odds are anticipating another Magic win with the home team presently listed as a -9.5 against the spread favorite; the game total is set at 208.
Houston had a great run from 
mid-December through the end of the year, going 8-2 in that stretch to bring its record to 16-16 on the season. The Rockets have fallen flat since ringing in the new year, though, as they ride a three game losing streak into tonight's meeting with the Magic.
Houston's latest misstep took place on Wednesday night with a 103-100 home loss to Western Conference rival Portland. The Rockets out-rebounded the Blazers 43-34, but Portland managed to get off 15 more shots than Houston, which had just two players score in double figures. Six year veteran Kevin Martin kept his team in the game with tremendous 45 point performance (13-of-18 FG, 6-of-8 three point range).
Houston, which trails the first place Spurs by 13 games in the Southwest Division, is an abysmal 6-13 on the road this season, despite averaging 104.3 points per game as a visitor (fourth best mark in the league).
Suffice it to say that Orlando's blockbuster pre-Christmas trade has produced the desired results. The Magic are 7-1 since making the move, garnering wins over top tier teams like San Antonio, Boston, and New York.
Orlando ran its current win streak to seven games on Wednesday night with a 97-87 win over the Bucks at the Amway Center. Six of the eight Magic players that played in the game scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard's 28. Howard led Orlando with 13 rebounds and 15 free throw attempts.
The Magic, which trail the the Heat by four games in the Southeast standings, are 14-5 at home this season. Orlando has won five in a row at the Amway Center, beating its opposition by an average of 13.6 points per game.
NBA Odds Betting Trend: The Rockets are 2-8 straight up and against the spread in their last 10 games as a road dog with a spread between 8 and 10.5.
Rockets vs Magic NBA Odds – January 7th, 2011:
Houston Rockets +9.5 (-110), Over 208 (-110)
Orlando Magic -9.5 (-110), Under 208 (-110)
