NBA Best Bet: Magic -4 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The latest NBA odds for Game 6 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic are now available from top sportsbooks.
I will recommend placing your best bet on the Magic for this matchup. And, for additional picks for the NBA Playoffs, visit our YouTube channel.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic
Friday, May 03, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET at Kia Center
Orlando’s Offensive Improvement
In Games 3 and 4, Orlando improved its scoring output by tremendous margins relative to Games 1 and 2.
Recall that Orlando scored over 110 points in both home games this series. Such a dramatic difference could not be explained simply by a change of location.
Indeed, the Magic learned to be more aggressive. Their two most important scorers, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero, became more effective thanks to individual adjustments, such as Wagner’s increased efficiency in the mid-range making him more well-rounded offensively.
Jump shots also became more reliable for the team as a whole, further helping to open the floor.
Game 5, despite the series moving to Cleveland, showed the difficulty that Cleveland’s front court has in defending Banchero and Wagner.
Jalen Suggs was off in Game 5, but he thrived in Orlando with his increased aggression.
In Game 6, with improved guard play thanks especially to Suggs, and the conspicuous readiness of Wagner and Banchero to lead their team’s scoring, Orlando’s offense will continue to look much improved relative to its start in this series.
Orlando’s Defense
The Magic continue to limit Donovan Mitchell from an efficient standpoint, which is crucial because of Mitchell’s centrality to Cleveland’s offense.
Their ball-screen tactics and their on-ball defense have limited Mitchell’s effectiveness.
Overall, their defense continued to limit Cleveland’s efficiency inside and from behind the arc where the Cavaliers were largely forced to attempt tightly contested three-pointers as opposed to wide-open ones.
Game 5 saw Cleveland finally break past 100 points merely because the game was played at a faster pace.
That scoring output should therefore not suggest any actual substantial improvement in Cleveland’s offense.
This will be especially obvious in Orlando given Cleveland’s sizeable struggles with three-point efficiency away from home.
The Pick
The Cavaliers are still worth fading on the road, not simply because they were blown out in both Games 3 and 4.
Their head coach has yet to lead them to a road playoff win. They were closest to getting one in a play-in game two seasons ago when the Nets coasted to a seven-point win after leading by 20 in the first quarter.
NBA Best Bet: Magic -4 (-110) at BetOnline
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