The Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34) travel to face off against the Orlando Magic (47-35) on Friday, May 3rd. This game will be played at Kia Center in Orlando and televised on ESPN. The Cavaliers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Magic are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Magic. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Cavaliers vs Magic

Paolo Banchero had a big game for the Magic in their most recent game against the Cavaliers, as he finished with 39 points. However, it wasn’t enough for the Magic to get the win, as the Cavaliers held on for a 104-103 win. Cleveland was favored by 4.5 points heading into the game, so Orlando covered the spread. Going into the game, the over/under line was 202.5 points, and the teams surpassed that with 207 points.

The Magic outscored the Cavaliers in the 2nd and 4th quarters of the game, as they held Cleveland to just 15 points in the 2nd quarter. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 28 points, and Darius Garland added 23 points. Cleveland made just 13 threes, which was right around their season average.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Donovan Mitchell is averaging 26.6 points per game this season, which is the 5th best mark in the league. However, over his last five games, he has hit just 41.7% of his shots from the field and 22.4 points per game. Caris LeVert is averaging 14 points per game for the season, and Evan Mobley is averaging 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Cleveland comes into the game as the NBA’s 23rd ranked scoring offense, at 112.6 points per game. The team’s scoring average at home is 113.4 points per game, compared to 109.6 on the road. Overall, the Cavaliers are 13th in field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. For the season, they have hit 36.8% of their threes.

Magic Offense Breakdown

Orlando is 20th in the league in scoring at home this season, putting up 112.8 points per contest. This is slightly better than their season average of 110.5 points per game, which is 25th in the NBA. The Magic are also near the bottom of the league in pace, averaging just 96.6 possessions per game.

Paolo Banchero has averaged 24.8 points per game over the Magic’s last five games, while hitting 48.5% of his shots from the field. In these games, he also hit 2.2 threes per game. Over this stretch, Franz Wagner is averaging 20 points and 7.4 rebounds. Jalen Suggs is averaging 14.2 points per game over the last five games but hit just 24% of his threes in that stretch.

Cavaliers Team Defense

So far this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ defense has been one of the best in the league, ranking 7th in points allowed per game at 109.7. When playing on the road, they have been even better, giving up just 110.2 points per game, which is 5th in the NBA.

In terms of shooting percentage allowed, Cleveland is 6th overall at 46.4%. They have been particularly strong inside the arc, ranking 4th in two-point shooting percentage allowed.

Over their last five games, the Cavaliers’ defense has been even better, holding opponents to just 101 points per game. During this stretch, they have been particularly stingy from three-point range, allowing just a 31.5% shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

Magic Team Defense

So far this season, the Magic have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, ranking 2nd in points allowed per game at 107.6. This is a trend that has held up both at home and on the road, as they are 2nd in points allowed per game at home and 7th on the road.

Over their last five games, the Magic have been even better on the defensive end, giving up just 93.8 points per game, which is 3rd in the NBA over that span. This has been due in large part to their ability to defend the three-point line, as they are 2nd in three-point percentage allowed over their last five games.

On the season, opposing teams have made fewer threes than their season average in 69.5% of their games against the Magic. Overall, Orlando is 4th in three-point percentage allowed and 4th in made threes allowed per game.

Key Players For The Cavaliers And Magic

In today’s game, our projections have Donovan Mitchell leading the Cavaliers with 25 points on 9/19 shooting from the field. This season, he is averaging 26.6 points per game along with 5.1 boards.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Paolo Banchero to be the top scorer for the Magic. Our projection has him finishing the game with 23, and he is expected to secure 7 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 45.5% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 22.6 points per game.

Cavaliers vs Magic Trends

• Although Cleveland has a straight up record of 0-3 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 96 points per game in these games.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Orlando has an ATS record of 1-2 while averaging 90 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 0-5. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-4.
• Orlando has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.

Cavaliers vs Magic Prediction

As the underdogs with a spread of +4, we recommend going with the Cavaliers on the point spread. We not only see them covering the spread but also have a strong likelihood of winning this one outright, especially if you’re seeking a higher payout on the moneyline.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 199, and our model projects the Cavaliers and Magic to reach a combined total of 215 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

---

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

---

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.