Orlando Magic (48-37) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (50-35)
Game Info: Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 1:00 pm (Kia Center)
Betting Odds: Orlando Magic -2.5 --- Over/Under: 201.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic duke it out in a crucial NBA Playoffs Game 4 at the Kia Center on Saturday afternoon. Here’s a Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Prediction.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers still hold the lead in the series, but they received a real wake-up call after getting demolished by the Magic in a 121-83 road defeat in Game 3 on Thursday. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert led the team in scoring with 15 points each, Donovan Mitchell added 13 points with seven assists while Evan Mobley chipped in with 10 points and three blocks. As a team, the Cavaliers shot just 39 percent from the field and eight of 34 from the 3-point line as they didn't come out with the right level of urgency and quickly found themselves in trouble after falling behind by 16 points going into halftime. Things only got worse in the third quarter where the Cavaliers got outscored by 35-16 to suffer one of their worst defeats of the season.
Orlando Magic
Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic needed to respond after dropping the first two games of the series and they did that with style as they romped their way to a big win on Thursday. Paolo Banchero led the team with 31 points, 14 rebounds and five assists on 13 of 26 shooting, Jalen Suggs added 24 points on nine of 11 shooting while Franz Wagner chipped in with 16 points and eight assists. As a team, the Magic shot 51 percent from the field and 13 of 37 from the 3-point line as they came out playing like the more desperate team and always looked in control after storming out to an early double digit lead. With the game wrapped up before the end of the third quarter, the Magic were also able to rest their starters early.
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.
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.
Matchup/League Facts
- 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).
- 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).
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Prediction
The Cavaliers are still missing Ty Jerome and Dean Wade, while the Magic don't have a single player listed on their injury report. The Cavaliers might have overlooked the Magic for a second. The Cavs just didn't come out with a playoff intensity and found themselves in quick sand against a young and desperate Magic squad who looked like they were playing for their season. It is only one game, and the Cavaliers would still be overjoyed if they were able to take a 3-1 series lead here. The Magic are a tough team to beat at home, and I think this series is going to be all squared up heading back to Cleveland. The line is short enough, so I am backing the Magic to take care of business at home again.