The NBA season carries on with a week seven matchup between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. Our NBA odds series continues with a Magic-Cavaliers prediction and pick.
All good things cannot last forever, and in the case of the Orlando Magic, their win streak reached an end. The Magic were on an incredible nine-game winning streak, including wins over the Nuggets and the Celtics, but it all ended on Saturday night in Brooklyn. Although Paolo Banchero had a near triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, the Magic just could not get anything going offensively, as they managed to score only 101 points. They now travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers in a bounce-back game.
After their most embarrassing loss of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to pick up a much-needed win. To close out November, the Cavaliers lost on their home floor to a struggling Trail Blazers team. However, in the following game, they pulled through and rallied after being down by as many as eight points to the Detroit Pistons to win 110-101. Led by Max Strus, who tallied 22 points on the night, the Cavaliers climbed to an 11-9 record on the season and will try to build on that when they host the Orlando Magic.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Magic-Cavaliers Odds
Orlando Magic: +4 (-106)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -4 (-114)
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
How to Watch Magic vs. Cavaliers
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT
TV: Orlando- Bally Sports Florida Cleveland- Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The biggest reason the Orlando Magic have been able to take the NBA by storm over the last month is their speed and defense. This team goes after the ball with an intensity unseen around the league. The Magic average the fourth most steals per game with 8.8. With Jalen Suggs leading the team with 1.9 per game, this defensive unit has been on-ball pests all season. They keep up with their matchups and run in transition well because they are one of the better-conditioned teams in basketball. Orlando averages the eighth most distance traveled on the court in-game with 18.59 miles per game and is the sixth fastest team on defense as the average speed for their players on the defensive end is 3.93 miles per hour. The Magic will stifle a Cavaliers team dependent on their offense to win games.
For such a young team, it is shocking that the Orlando Magic can thrive in clutch time. In the clutch (A five-point or less game in the last five minutes), the Magic have taken care of business. In these instances, Orlando has the fifth-best winning percentage in the league and sits at a record of 6-3. They have been able to do so because they have remained calm and collected in these situations. The Magic average the fourth fewest fouls (1.6) and the sixth-best free throw percentage (87.0%) in the league in these games. If this game were to come down to the wire, the Magic are far more equipped to pull away late, given how they have fared in the clutch this season.
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Although the Orlando Magic have their fair share of high-caliber players, the Cleveland Cavaliers will bring in the best player on the floor. Donovan Mitchell has been sensational so far this season. He is 11th in the league in points per game with 27.1 and has six games with 30+ points this season. Aiding this scoring barrage is his efficiency from the foul line, where he is having a career year. Mitchell is shooting a career-high 91.1% from the line this season, and he is getting them up in bunches. At 5.5 made free throws per game, Mitchell is averaging the 14th most made in the league. If there is any one player on the floor in this game who can take over and run up the score, it is Donovan Mitchell.
While the Magic have one of the best defenses in the league, their offense has not followed suit, especially from three-point territory. The Magic are making the third-fewest three-pointers per game, with an average of only 10.6. At only a 35.4% field goal percentage from three, they are not making them at the highest efficiency either. If the Cavaliers can get ahead early, do not expect the Magic to make a comeback revolving around threes.
Final Magic-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
This season's first meeting between these young and emerging teams will be must-watch TV. With both teams sitting above a .500 record on the season and firmly in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, this is a much-needed game for both teams. The Magic have unquestionably been the better team over the past month because of arguably the best defense in the league. With this team playing as hot as they have been, it is very tough to go against them in this one, but I am rolling with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Orlando does not have enough to keep up with this team on offense, and with a frontcourt led by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, they will negate Banchero's presence inside the paint. Give me the Cavaliers at -4.5 in this one.
Final Magic-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -4 (-114)
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