Cleveland Cavaliers (49-34) vs Orlando Magic (47-36)
Game Info: Monday, April 22, 2024 at 7:00 pm (Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse)
Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5 --- Over/Under: 204 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Orlando Magic will be looking to bounce back against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Monday night. Here’s a Magic vs Cavaliers prediction.
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic came into this series with plenty of momentum, but they are hoping for a better performance after coming up way short in a 97-83 loss in Game 1 on Saturday. Paolo Banchero led the team with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Franz Wagner added 18 points with seven rebounds and three blocks while Jalen Suggs chipped in with 13 points on four of 16 shooting. As a team, the Magic shot just 32 percent from the field and eight of 37 from the 3-point line as they struggled to keep pace right from the start and fell behind by 12 points at halftime and they didn't gain any ground until they trailed by 20 points which just left them too much ground to make up.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers kind of stumbled their way into the playoffs, but they seem to have flipped the switch as they looked great in their big win over the Magic in Game 1. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 30 points on 11 of 21 shooting, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen scored 16 points each while Darius Garland chipped in with 14 points and eight assists. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 44 percent from the field and eight of 30 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 33 points in the first quarter to jump out in front early, before they played great defense to push the margin out to 20 points in the third quarter.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts
- Jarrett Allen ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for FG% (63.4%) this season.
- Donovan Mitchell ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.8) this season.
Orlando Magic Player Facts
- Moritz Wagner ranks 8th amongst qualified players for FG% (60.1%) this season.
- Jalen Suggs ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cavaliers are one of only two teams to lose a game when leading by 20+ points at HT this season.
- The Cavaliers rank 3rd in the league for Q2 opponent points per game this season (26.9).
- The Magic rank 1st in the league for opponent assists per game this season (23.9).
- The Magic rank 1st in the league for opponent rebounds per game this season (39.9).
Magic vs Cavaliers prediction
The Magic don't have a single player listed on their injury report, while the Cavaliers are still missing Craig Porter, Ty Jerome and Dean Wade. The Magic would've been looking to kick off the series with a big upset win on the road, but everyone except for Banchero struggled, which was never going to be enough to keep pace with the Cavaliers. I'm sure we're going to see a better effort from the young Magic, but the Cavaliers looked like a different team on Saturday and I think they can keep it going with another win here to take a 2-0 series lead.
Peter’s Pick Cleveland -5.5
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
