The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic meet at Rocket Arena in an NBA Monday night affair, two days after they last played each other at the Kia Center. Cleveland left Orlando with a 119-105 win and will look to repeat that effort on its home floor.
The Cavaliers ride the momentum of a three-game win streak as they return home for the rematch, culminating with their recent win over the Magic. Cleveland has won five of its last six games to rise to fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 27-20 record.
The Magic have been trending in the opposite direction, losing their last three games and four of their last six. Orlando has struggled without star forward Franz Wagner, who has not played since Jan. 18 while nursing an ankle injury.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings.
Magic vs. Cavaliers odds
Orlando Magic: +4.5 (-105)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -4.5 (-115)
Over: 226.5 (-110)
Under: 226.5 (-110)
Magic vs. Cavaliers key injuries
The Magic have been struggling without Franz Wagner, who was leading the team with 22.2 points per game before going down with an ankle injury. Orlando has already ruled him out for Monday's game, keeping him sidelined for a third consecutive game.
However, the Magic got slightly healthier on Saturday, when Jalen Suggs returned from a three-week absence. Suggs essentially replaced Wagner in the starting lineup, pushing Tristan da Silva back to the bench.
The Cavaliers are not dealing with any injuries as consequential as Wagner's, but they will likely continue playing without Darius Garland, DeAndre Hunter, Max Strus and Sam Merrill. None of the absences has hurt them yet, with Cleveland simply riding the hot hand of Donovan Mitchell over the last two weeks.
Cleveland has gone with a big lineup without Garland, starting Dean Wade in its last four games. Expect nothing to change on that front, given their recent results.
Magic vs. Cavaliers betting trends
- Magic are 17-27 against the spread
- Magic are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
- Magic are 5-6 against the spread as the underdog
- Magic are 8-10 SU / 5-13 ATS without Franz Wagner
- Magic are 22-22 to the over
- Cavaliers are 17-30 against the spread
- Cavaliers are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games
- Cavaliers are 11-26 against the spread as the favorite
- Cavaliers are 14-7 SU / 9-12 ATS without Darius Garland
- Cavaliers are 22-25 to the over
Keys to Magic vs. Cavaliers matchup
The Magic and Cavaliers are truly a clash of styles. With or without Garland, Cleveland wants to run the floor, while Orlando has preferred to slow it down, particularly without Wagner. The Magic have scored the eighth-most fastbreak points in the league, but that element of their game has dissipated recently.
Both teams ran at a high pace on Saturday, with the Cavaliers being much more efficient. Cleveland made 10 more field goals, while Orlando's struggles from deep continued, hitting just 28 percent of its three-pointers.
The Magic have attacked the rim all season, averaging 53.6 points in the paint per game, fifth-most in the league. However, they struggled inside against the Cavaliers on Saturday, managing just 40 points in the paint.
The Cavaliers' big lineup of Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Dean Wade gave the smaller Magic fits on both ends of the court. Orlando's starting lineup took a size hit with 6-foot-5 Jalen Suggs replacing 6-foot-8 Tristan da Silva in his return.
The Magic will also have to figure out how to defend Donovan Mitchell in the pick-and-roll, which has been an issue for them all year. Mitchell thrived as both a scorer and a facilitator on Saturday, dropping 36 points and dishing out 9 assists.
Magic vs. Cavaliers prediction and pick
For the fourth consecutive year, the Magic are hitting a wall midway through the regular season. This team has struggled to remain healthy in the last month and continues to be without Franz Wagner; Orlando is a putrid 5-13 against the spread without its star guard this season.
Without Wagner, the Magic have been active from behind the arc in their last two games, during which they have averaged 38.5 three-point attempts. That strategy has not worked out, as Orlando hit just 32 percent of its triples during that period.
The Magic want to work the paint, where they have been one of the best teams in the league all season. But against the tall lineup of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Dean Wade and Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Orlando found that venture even more difficult to operate in.
Orlando has had an even more difficult time on the other end of the court recently, allowing 123 points per game in its last three outings. Jalen Suggs' return did nothing to stop the torrid pace of Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who added another 30-point game to his MVP-caliber season. The Magic could not keep the ball out of Mitchell's hands, allowing him to take 30 shots while notching nine assists.
Mitchell's pick-and-roll play style plays directly into the Magic's biggest defensive woes. Orlando likes to force teams into isolation — it allows the third-fewest assists in the league — but it allows teams to run pick-and-roll sets against it at the fifth-highest rate. Mitchell took full advantage of that on Saturday.
This matchup is not as simple as a repeat of Saturday's game, but the Magic are reeling while the Cavaliers are finally finding a groove. Travel fatigue could also be an issue for Orlando, which is onto its fourth game in the last nine days, which included a return trip from London.
Final Magic-Cavaliers prediction & pick: Cavaliers -4.5 (-115)
