Cavaliers vs. Magic NBA Expert Prediction and Odds for NBA Playoffs Game 6 (Target Total)
By Reed Wallach
The Magic play to extend its season on Friday night at home against the Cavaliers after losing a tight one on Tuesdya night in Game 5.
In what has been a series defined by home court, can the Magic win again on its home floor to force a decisive Game 7? Paolo Banchero will need another excellent showing after pouring in 39 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out four assists in Game 5.
Here's our full betting preview for Game 6 of Cavs vs. Magic.
Cavaliers vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total
Cavaliers vs. Magic How to Watch
- Date: Friday, May 3rd
- Game Time: 7:00 PM EST
- Venue: Kia Center
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Cavaliers vs. Magic Injury Reports
Cavaliers Injury Report
Jarrett Allen - ribs - questionable
Magic Injury Report
Garry Harris - hamstring - questionable
Cavaliers vs. Magic Key Players to Watch
Cleveland Cavaliers
Evan Mobley: After Jarrett Allen was a late scratch ahead of Game 5, Mobley rose to the occasion, scoring 14 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out four assists with two steals and the game-sealing block.
Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero: Banchero is the hub of the Magic offense, tasked with initiating clean looks for the Orlando offense as well as his own shots. While the Cavs bolster an elite defense, Banchero was able to have a massive Game 5, will that continue now at home, or will he play the role of facilitator in hopes of role players stepping up at the Kia Center?
Cavaliers vs. Magic Prediction and Pick
Both offenses have struggled quite a bit in this series, a chore to crack 100 points in most cases.
Across the postseason, the Magic (14th) and Cavaliers (15th) are each in the bottom three in effective field goal percentage while both teams are bottom half of the field in three-point attempts per game.
The offense has been tough to come by and the pace has been fairly slow, right in the middle of the pack across the postseason, but what would be, on average, the slowest-paced series in the regular season.
With it being a close-out game, I expect the game to be officiated loosely and for the pace to continue to slow down as each possession is maximized. For reference, Game 6 unders are 92-68 since 2005, per The Action Network. The pace drops and the shooting continues to trend poorly.
Each defense has already dominated this series, and I expect both teams to stay below 100 in what should be another tight game.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.