Magic welcome 76ers to Amway Center

Basketball Betting Lines

02/15/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Orlando Magic eye a third straight win this evening when they welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to Amway Center.

Orlando has started to play its best basketball of the season, yet the last two games it hasn't had to rely on All-Star center Dwight Howard. On Monday, Jason Richardson had 17 points and was one of six Magic players to score in double figures, as Orlando took down the Minnesota Timberwolves, 102-89.

Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick and Hedo Turkoglu finished with 14 points apiece and Ryan Anderson added 13 for the Magic, who have won six of their last eight games.

"We're sharing the ball a lot more and doing a lot of good things on defense," explained Richardson of the Magic's recent success.

Howard, meanwhile, scored 11 points to go with seven boards in the victory. It was the second straight 11-point game for the Magic superstar, who insists he is not frustrated despite comments to the contrary over the weekend.

"I just want everybody on my team to have confidence in me. I don't think that's bad ... it's not saying, 'Me, me,'" Howard said.

Orlando will conclude a three-game homestand on Friday against Milwaukee. It is 10-6 at home on the year.

Philadelphia has also won two in a row following a win over the hapless Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Lou Williams scored 23 points and fellow reserve Thaddeus Young added 20 to help the 76ers get past the struggling Bobcats, 98-89.

Nikola Vucevic contributed to the Sixers' solid bench effort with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday scored 19 points in the victory, Philly's second straight.

Leading by five entering the final minute, the Sixers sealed the win with an inside bucket by Vucevic and deep three-pointer by Williams. The win was Philly's first in Charlotte since January 26, 2008.

"Williams hitting that big three against the [shot] clock was the dagger," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said.

The Sixers beat the Magic back on January 30 to snap a three-game losing streak to them. Philly, which has won just twice in the last 13 meetings in this series, has lost seven of its last eight in Orlando.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.