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Preview16d ago

Magic limp into Toronto carrying the points despite missing half their rotation

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Posted Oct 28, 2026, 11:33 AM

The injury report reads like a hospital ward, but let's cut through the carnage: Orlando still has their big three standing while Toronto's best player sits. That's the ballgame right there.

The Raptors opened 135-92 at home and suddenly everyone thinks Scotiabank Arena is a fortress. Pump the brakes. That demolition came against cupcake opposition, and when Toronto actually hit the road this season, they're 1-1 averaging a pedestrian 103 per game. The Magic, meanwhile, grabbed a road W already this year, posting 111 in a legitimate environment with equal three-day rest here.

Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Desmond Bane form a coherent offensive nucleus that can execute in the halfcourt. What's Toronto's identity without Kawhi Leonard? We're about to find out, and it probably involves a lot of contested midrange bricks and defensive confusion.

The market got drunk on that home blowout and hung 4.5 points on a Magic squad that's less compromised than the box score suggests. Both teams are banged up, sure, but Orlando's injury situation still leaves them with their best offensive creators. Toronto's doesn't.

DarkHorse likes Magic +4.5. This number's inflated by recency bias and home cooking that hasn't been tested against legitimate competition. Take the points.

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