The Orlando Magic (13-31) look to put an end to their 10-game road losing streak in a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-17) at Quicken Loans Arena. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 18, 2018, and will air on Fox SportsNet Florida.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 226 points with Cleveland set as a 10.5-point favorite.
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Prediction
The last time the Magic played, they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 108-102. The Magic knocked down 17 of their 19 free throws (89.5 percent) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.6 (above their season average of 19.9). Orlando rallied around Bismack Biyombo, who recorded 10 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.
The Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors in their last outing, 118-108. Golden State made good use of their 30 trips to the charity stripe, making 24 of them (80.0 percent). Cleveland, on the other hand, was just 15-22 (68.2 percent). LeBron James had a solid performance for Cleveland, leading both teams in scoring with 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting.
Cleveland could dominate on the offensive side of the ball as their high-octane offense faces off against one of the NBA’s worst defenses. The Cavaliers currently rank fifth in offensive efficiency, while Orlando ranks 27th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, the Magic rank 22nd in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.183), while the Cavaliers rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.161).
Orlando holds records of 13-31 straight up (SU) and 17-26-1 against the spread (ATS). A little over half of the Magic’s games have finished under the total.
Cleveland has a respectable 26-17 SU record, but they are just 12-30-1 ATS. Contrary to Orlando, Cavaliers games have finished over the O/U total 51.2 percent of the time.
The two teams have split their two matchups this season. The Cavaliers won the most recent matchup 131-127, but did not cover as 8.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 258 points, which was 36.5 points above the projected point total of 221.5 points. The Cavaliers knocked down 22 of their 31 free throws (71.0 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (13.6 vs. 15.0). James recorded a double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds.
Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Cavaliers, ATS Winner – Magic, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Orlando is 10-13-1 ATS on the road with 12 overs and 12 unders.
At home, Cleveland is 3-16-1 ATS with 11 overs and 9 unders.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Orlando is 6-3 and Cleveland is 10-2.
The Cavaliers are 26-9 when they reach the century mark, while the Magic are 13-16.
Orlando ranks sixth in three pointers allowed per game (26.4) while Cleveland ranks last (32.3).
The Magic average 23.4 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Cavaliers rank last in assists allowed per game (25.7).
Orlando ranks 13th in blocks per game (4.8) while Cleveland ranks 26th (3.8).
The Cavaliers average 43.3 points in the paint per game, which ranks 16th in the league. The Magic rank 29th in points allowed in the paint per game (49.6).
Cleveland averages 17.4 points off turnovers per game, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Orlando ranks 21st in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.7).
The Cavaliers rank 21st in rebounds allowed per game (44.0) while the Magic rank 28th (46.0).
Cleveland averages 10.7 fast break points per game, which ranks 16th in the NBA. Orlando ranks 22nd in fast break points allowed per game (12.5).
The Cavaliers average 11.4 second chance points per game, which ranks 22nd in the league. The Magic rank 24th in second chance points allowed per game (13.4).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Orlando is 4-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Cleveland is 0-5 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Magic’s average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.2, down from 5.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 106.4 points per game (3.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 120.4 points per game (11.7 above their season average).
