The Orlando Magic will look to stave off elimination from the 2024 NBA playoffs when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup on Friday. Cleveland pulled off a thrilling 104-103 win on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Cavaliers (48-34), the fourth seed, have had a lot of success within the conference and posted a 31-21 record against the East during the regular season. The Magic (47-35), the fifth seed, have played well at home all year and are 31-12 at Kia Center, including the playoffs. Cleveland could be without center Jarrett Allen, who is questionable with a rib injury.
Tipoff from Orlando, Fla., is set for 7 p.m. ET. Orlando is the 4-point favorite in the latest Cavaliers vs. Magic odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 199. Before making any Magic vs. Cavaliers picks, be sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters the third week of the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 92-61 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,600. Anyone following the model has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavs vs. Magic and just locked in its NBA playoff predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA betting lines and trends for Magic vs. Cavs:
- Cavaliers vs. Magic spread: Orlando -4
- Cavaliers vs. Magic over/under: 199 points
- Cavaliers vs. Magic money line: Orlando -173, Cleveland +145
- CLE: The Cavaliers have hit the fourth quarter Under in 48 of their last 78 games (+15.85 units)
- ORL: The Magic have won 31 of their last 43 games at home (+18.35 units on ML)
- Cavaliers vs. Magic picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Magic can cover
Besides having one of the top home records in the league, Orlando has a solid offensive presence in power forward Paolo Banchero. In five postseason games, Banchero is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 35.6 minutes of action. He has scored 20 or more points in four of the five games in the series, including a 39-point and eight-rebound performance in the Game 5 loss. He posted a double-double with 31 points and 14 rebounds in the 121-83 Game 3 victory.
Small forward Franz Wagner has reached double-digit scoring in all five games of the series, including one double-double. In Saturday’s Game 4 win over the Cavaliers, Wagner poured in a playoff-high 34 points, while grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out four assists. He had 14 points, six assists and five rebounds in Tuesday’s loss. In five games in the series, all starts, he is averaging 20 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 blocks in 36.6 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell has continued his strong play and is coming off a 28-point performance in the Game 5 win. He also added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. His best game was in Game 1, when he registered 30 points and added three steals, three assists and two boards. In the series, he is averaging 22.4 points, 4.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He is also getting it done at the free-throw line, connecting on 85.7% of his attempts.
With Allen uncertain for this game, point guard Darius Garland is ready to step up his offense. He did just that in Game 5, scoring 23 points, while adding five assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes. He has reached double-digit scoring in four of the five games in the series. In Game 2, he scored 15 points, while adding four assists and three rebounds. For the postseason, he is averaging 14.2 points, 5.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 33.2 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Magic vs. Cavaliers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 204 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavaliers vs. Magic, and which side of the spread cashes in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cavaliers vs. Magic spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,600 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.