The Cavaliers and Magic are set to square off at 1:00 PM ET on Saturday at the Kia Center in Orlando. This first-round Eastern Conference series is currently being led by the Cavaliers, 2-1. Looking at the odds, the Magic are favored by 2 points and are -135 on the money line. The Cavaliers are +112, and the over/under line is 201.5. TNT is carrying the game on TV.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS ORLANDO MAGIC BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers +2

This game will be played at Kia Center at 1:00 ET on Saturday, April 27th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 112-108 in favor of the Cavaliers.
  • Our projections have Donovan Mitchell finishing with Donovan Mitchell points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Cavaliers finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.1% and knocking down 16 threes.

Orlando picked up a 121-83 win over the Cavaliers in the most recent game of this series, and the Magic easily covered the spread as 3-point favorites. The Magic got off to a 31-21 lead in the 1st quarter and didn’t look back, as they outscored the Cavs in every quarter. The over/under line for the game was 201.5 points, and the teams just surpassed that with a combined 204 points.

Paolo Banchero had a huge game for the Magic, finishing with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Suggs added 24 points and shot 60% from three. On the other side, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each had 15 points for the Cavs. Cleveland made just eight threes and shot 23.5% from beyond the arc.

Can Cleveland Deliver Being Underdogs on the Road?

In their last game, the Cavaliers lost to the Magic by a score of 121-83. This loss dropped their overall record to 48-34, which is currently 4th in the Eastern Conference. In the Central Division, they are in 2nd place.

As the underdog, the Cavaliers have gone 11-19 this season. They have failed to cover the spread in their last seven games as the underdog, going 14-15 ATS. Today, they are 2-point underdogs.

This season, the Cavaliers have an O/U record of 42-42-1. In their games this season, the average combined scoring total is 221.6, compared to today’s line of 201.5.

On the road, the Cavaliers have an average scoring differential of 0 points per game. Their record against the spread on the road is 19-21, and they are 22-20 straight up.

Overall, Cleveland is 40-43 ATS this season, with an average scoring differential of +4.3 points per game at home. Their ATS record on the road is 19-21, compared to 21-22 at home.

Donovan Mitchell comes into the game with a season-long scoring average of 26.6 points per game. Over his last four games, he is averaging 24.8 points per game. In these games, he shot 44.2% from the field. Jarrett Allen has averaged 18 points and 13.2 rebounds in his last five games on a field goal percentage of 78.7%.

Cleveland is averaging 112.6 points per game this season, which is 23rd in the NBA. On the road, they have averaged 110.1 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage, they are 12th in the league. The Cavaliers are also 23rd in pace.

Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers are 7th in the NBA in points allowed per game at 109.7. On the road, they are 4th in the league, giving up 110.2 points per game. Over their last five games, they have been even better, ranking 9th in the NBA at 106 points per game allowed.

When it comes to field goal percentage allowed, Cleveland is 4th in the NBA at 46.3%. They have also been very good at defending the three-point line, ranking 10th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.7%.

One area where the Cavaliers have struggled defensively is on the glass. They are 16th in the NBA in rebounds per game and 11th in defensive rebounds. In terms of steals and blocked shots, they are 18th and 21st in the NBA, respectively.

Can the Magic Deliver Being Favored at Home?

The Magic have a record of 39-46-0 on the over/under this season, and their games have averaged 217.8 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 201.5.

Orlando has won their last five games at home and is 30-12 overall at home this season. In the Eastern Conference, they are 5th with a record of 47-35.

As the favorite, the Magic have a scoring differential of +9.1 points per game, and they are 27-12 ATS as the favorite. Their ATS win streak as the favorite is at two games.

In their most recent game against the Cavaliers, the Magic won by a score of 121-83. They were also favored by 3 points in that game, and the O/U line was 201.5.

On the season, the Magic are 52-33 ATS, including a 29-13 record at home. As the favorite, they are 27-12 ATS, and they have covered the spread in three straight home games.

Out of their 82 games this season, the Magic have been favored in 39 of them. As the favorite, they are 30-9 straight-up and 27-12 ATS.

Orlando comes into the game as one of the worst scoring teams in the league, averaging 110.5 points per game. Their scoring average is slightly better at home, as they are 20th in the league with 112.8 points per contest. Looking at their pace, the Magic are 26th in the league, averaging 96.6 possessions per game. The Magic are last in the NBA in three-point attempts and are 28th in three-point shooting attempts.

Paolo Banchero has averaged 24.8 points per game over his last five games on 43.4% shooting. He also averaged 10 rebounds and 5.4 assists in that stretch. Over his last five games, Franz Wagner has averaged 20.2 points and six rebounds. Jalen Suggs has hit 48.9% of his shots in his last five games and is averaging 14 points in that stretch.

When it comes to defense, the Orlando Magic have been one of the best in the NBA this season. They come into tonight’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers ranked 2nd in the league in points allowed at 107.9 per game. Over their last five games, they have been even better, giving up just 97.8 points per game.

One of the reasons the Magic have been so good on defense is their ability to contest shots. They are 13th in the league in blocked shots at 5.2 per game. When it comes to defending the three-point line, they have been one of the best in the NBA, ranking 4th in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 35.3%.

Overall, opponents have scored less than their season average in 73.2% of their games against the Magic. When it comes to made threes, opponents have made fewer threes than their season average in 67.1% of their games against Orlando.