The Orlando Magic (31-37) will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (56-10) in the NBA this afternoon. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will broadcast live on ABC.
The Cavaliers are 11-point favorites over the Magic on the spread (Cavaliers -11), with the over/under set at 220.5 total points. Cleveland is a -550 favorite to win outright, while Orlando is +410 to pull off the upset.
One team is thriving and not only has the best record in the league but seems to be getting better. The other team’s season is off the rails as injuries have completely driven them into a ditch. Can the Magic pull the upset? Or will the Cavaliers just keep rolling?
Let's get into my Magic vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 16.
Magic vs Cavaliers Prediction
My Cavaliers vs. Magic best bet is on Cleveland to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Cavaliers -10 (-110)
Magic vs Cavaliers Odds, Spread, Picks
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11 -110 | 220.5 -110o / -110u | +410 |
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11 -110 | 220.5 -110o / -110u | -550 |
- Magic vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -11
- Magic vs. Cavaliers over/under: 220.5 total points
- Magic vs. Cavaliers moneyline: Cavaliers -550, Orlando +410
- Magic vs. Cavaliers best bet: Cavaliers -10
Orlando Magic vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Sunday Preview
Although Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are both questionable, Cleveland still has some advantages against this rival. Orlando is 8-16 vs. top 10 defenses with a -2.3 spread differential; while they have the third-best defense against those teams, the overall results are the same: they just cannot keep pace offensively.
The Magic can’t make enough threes to keep up, putting them at a huge math disadvantage. The Magic take the 17th-most three-point attempts per 100 possessions and make the fewest, dead last in the NBA.
When the Cavaliers face a team below league average in three-pointers, they are 23-16 ATS. When Orlando faces a team above league average, they are 18-22 ATS and 8-12 ATS on the road.
The Cavaliers’ defense has rounded into form, and now it’s a top-10 unit on its own. Orlando is 3-14 SU against top-10 defenses, with a league-worst -5.0 spread differential per Cleaning The Glass.
In reality, it’s pretty simple. The Cavaliers are an elite team in most aspects, and the Magic just don’t have the ability to go punch-for-punch with that much firepower.
Now, let's see what Orlando has in its favor. The Magic’s best hope is to slow this game down. They are excellent at cutting off transition opportunities, allowing the fourth-lowest in the league, and are great at defending in the half-court to muck things up.
Franz Wagner should be able to get loose against the Cavs’ wing defenders, even if Paolo Banchero is likely to have a bad day against Evan Mobley. This season, Banchero averages 24 points per game against Mobley but has a very poor true Shooting percentage of just 45%.
Orlando doesn’t do anything well offensively, but they might be able to get going on the interior with how the Cavaliers press up in pick-and-roll coverage. On the other hand, the Cavaliers are literally the best rim-protection team in the league, so maybe not.
I’m keeping it simple. Let’s lay the 10 points with the Cavaliers. The trends support Cleveland, and I make this game closer to 17.5, factoring in homecourt for the Cavaliers. You can wait to make sure Mitchell and Garland are playing, but even without just one of them, I’ll still like Cleveland wherever the market settles.
The over is great for a total, and I especially like the Cavaliers team's total over, which has been great at home. The Magic’s defense hasn’t been quite as good lately.
Props-wise, I like Paolo Banchero unders and Ty Jerome overs.
Magic vs Cavaliers Betting Prediction
- Cavaliers -11 (-110)
Magic vs Cavaliers Same Game Parlay
- Cavaliers -10
- Cavaliers Team Total Over 114.5 points
Parlay Payout: +165
Cavaliers vs. Magic Betting Trends
