Allowing 128 points and losing to the Indiana Pacers was a really bad look for the Orlando Magic who have now lost 5 straight games. With the Charlotte Hornets being just a game back in the standings, they could drop to 10th very easily if they don’t snap out of this mess. Playing on a 2nd night of a back-to-back in Cleveland is far from ideal, but then again the Magic are 8-3 SU in 11 games played in this scenario. Granted, some of those win came against tankers and bad teams, but they also did beat Denver and Charlotte with no rest. The oddsmakers have really lost faith in them, the spread is at 10 points going into tonight’s game. Orlando is 2-5 ATS/SU in 7 meetings with the Cavs.
The Cavaliers are headed in a completely different direction than the Magic are right now. They’ve all but secured the 4th seed in the East with a 3-game win streak following a successful road trip where they beat the Bucks, Bulls and Pels. They’re one of the more consistent home teams in the entire NBA with 22 wins in 35 games, against Orlando they’ve lost only once at home in 7 meetings. Jarrett Allen’s absence has been tough to overcome in the rebounding department, that’s my only worry ahead of Tuesday’s game. Donovan Mitchell in particular has enjoyed playing Orlando this season, he’s averaging 35.3 points per game in the 3 meetings on almost 50% shooting.
Despite the losing streak, Orlando has been in games lately. Their last 3 of 4 have all been decided by single digits. Yes, they are on a losing streak at the moment, but the sense of urgency to get a result might push them beyond their limits here. They’re 10th in the NBA in paint scoring, if they’re smart they’ll look to take advantage of Allen’s absence here and attack the interior of the Cavaliers. I have Orlando covering here.
Magic vs Cavaliers prediction: Magic +10 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.