*8* play on the UNDER Mavs/Magic.

The Orlando Magic have quietly put together a solid winning record at home, and one of the reasons for that has been an above average defense. They will host the Dallas Mavericks tonight, and both these teams might be shaking off some rust after the long layoff. My money is on the under.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Previous History - Orlando has been a good bet to go under in previous meetings with Western Conference teams, going under in six of their last eight such contests. They've also gone under in five of their last seven at home versus teams with a losing record.

2. Mavs Scoring Woes - Dallas lost four of five before the break, and it failed to score 100 points in three of those four losses. The Mavs rank 18th in the NBA averaging just 99.3 points per game on the road.

3. X-Factor - An extended layoff could hurt both team's efficiency, and the under is 7-3 in Magic last 10 games playing on 3 or more days rest.

Selection: This is a play on the Mavs@Magic to go UNDER the total (8*)