Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers return to Kia Center this evening for Game 6 against Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic, and we've searched through the NBA odds to find your best bet for this matchup.
The home team has won all five games in this series, and if it weren't for a game-saving block by Evan Mobley on Franz Wagner in Game 5, this series could have a much different feeling going into Game 6 tonight.
Can Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers close out this series on the road, or will the Magic be able to force our first Game 7 in the first round of the NBA playoffs?
Find out which NBA picks I'm backing in my Cavaliers vs. Magic predictions for Friday, May 3.
Cavaliers vs Magic predictions
My best bet
Cavaliers +4 (+102 at Pinnacle)
My analysis
When you try to evaluate Game 6 between the Magic and the Cavaliers, it's extremely difficult to get what we saw in Games 3 and 4 out of your head. Both games were blowouts, as the Cavaliers got absolutely blasted on the road by 38 and 23 points, and the Magic evened the series at two games apiece. Despite this, it's crucial to not assume we will see the same outcome once again.
On the surface, I think the injury to Gary Harris appears minimal, but in this series, I believe it's a big deal for Orlando. The Magic don't have 3-point shooting on their roster; Harris is really their only shooter, and it's why he's in the starting lineup to help space the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Harris hasn't had a good series from beyond the arc, but even the threat of him as a shooter helps to create space for Wagner and Banchero. If Harris is out, the Magic's offense could be in trouble because it will impact the ability of Banchero and Wagner to score.
Not only is Harris important on the offensive end, but he's also been the primary defender on Donovan Mitchell and has been excellent in this role in this series, successfully funneling Mitchell towards the Magic's rim protection and help defense. This also allows the Magic to put Jalen Suggs on Darius Garland and completely choke off Garland's ability to create offense.
Harris is still listed as a game-time decision, but considering he left Game 5 in the second half with a hamstring injury and never returned, I find it hard to believe that he will be suiting up on Friday.
The other reason I like the Cavaliers on the spread on Friday is that Jarrett Allen participated in shootaround. Allen missed Game 5, and his presence will allow the Cavaliers to further clog the lane against Banchero and Wagner while also providing Mitchell and Garland with a lob threat on offense when they run into the Magic's rim protection.
With the Cavaliers trading as a 4-point underdog on Friday, I'm taking the points. I do believe this could be an outright win for the Cavaliers, but I'm going to take the Cavaliers on the spread at +4 because I think this line should be trading at the opening price of Cavaliers +3 rather than the Cavaliers +4 we are seeing available in the market. It's only a small edge, but the +102 price point at Pinnacle helps, as we can price the Cavaliers at -116 to cover the 4-point spread.
Cavaliers vs Magic same-game parlay (SGP)
Cavaliers +4
Paolo Banchero Under 24.5 points
Max Strus Over 9.5 points
I'm going to keep this breakdown short and sweet because if you want to see an in-depth reason as to why I like both of these player props to pair with the spread bet of Cavaliers +4 in our SGP, I have a complete breakdown in our daily NBA player prop bets article here at Covers.
I placed a straight bet on both Banchero Under 24.5 points and Max Strus Over 9.5 points, and that's why I'm pairing them with my best bet of Cavaliers +4 on the spread against the Magic.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cavaliers vs Magic odds
Cavaliers vs Magic live odds
Get the latest Cavaliers vs Magic NBA playoff odds for Game 6.
Cavaliers vs Magic opening odds
- Spread: Cleveland +3 | Orlando -3
- Moneyline: Cleveland +128 | Orlando -152
- Over/Under: Over 203.5 | Under 203.5
Cavaliers vs Magic spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Magic opened as 3-point favorites at FanDuel and are now trading as 4-point favorites.
- After how the first two games played out in Orlando, it's not shocking to see some support in the market for the Magic on the spread.
- The total opened at 203.5 at FanDuel and has since dropped three points, now trading at 200.5.
- The total did drop as low as 199 at FanDuel, but it was met with some resistance at this number and pushed back up to 200.5.
Cavaliers vs Magic trend
The Cleveland Cavaliers have hit the 1H Moneyline in 51 of their last 79 games (+12.25 Units / 8% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs, Magic.
Cavaliers vs Magic game info
| Location: | Kia Center, Orlando, FL |
| Date: | Friday, 5-3-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Cavaliers vs Magic latest injuries
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