Betsided

Cavaliers vs. Magic NBA Expert Prediction and Odds for NBA Playoffs Game 7 (History Says Bet Under)

By Reed Wallach

Apr 30, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the
Apr 30, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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The Magic and Cavaliers finish its first round series on Sunday with the lone Game 7 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. 

Orlando withstood a 50-point outburst from Donovan Mitchell in Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland. The home team has won every game of this series, and oddsmakers have the Cavs as slight favorites to hold serve in advance. 

Here’s our full betting preview for Game 7 of this first round series, with a best bet on the total.

Magic vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Magic vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

  • Date: Sunday, May 5th
  • Game Time: 1:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
  • How to Watch (TV): ABC

Magic vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Magic Injury Report

Garry Harris - hamstring - questionable

Cavaliers Injury Report

Jarrett Allen - ribs - questionable 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Key Players to Watch

Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero: Banchero took over late in Game 6 to extend the series, finishing the game with 27 points and eight rebounds to go with four assists. He has been a matchup nightmare for the Cavs to handle as the Magic have started to get scoring contributions from the rest of the roster. Can Banchero take over once more and lead the Magic to the second round? 

Cleveland Cavaliers 

Donovan Mitchell: Mitchell did all he could for the Cavs in Game 6, finishing with 50 points in the loss. While his three-point shot hasn’t been falling at a high clip, Mitchell has been able to navigate the rugged Magic defense to get shots at the rim and finish with at a high clip. Can he follow up his big scoring effort on Friday with a win?

Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

This series has been dominated by home teams, but I can’t get myself to lay the points in a game that should be played at a slow tempo and feature a defensive mindset. 

Neither team has been shooting all that well, only the Pelicans had a lower effective field goal percentage in the first round than both teams – Orlando is 14th in the postseason at 49.6% and Cleveland is 15th at 49.3%. For reference, both would be the worst in the regular season.

In Game 7, with each possession magnified, I believe we see a methodical approach to this one. This checks out over a large sample size as Game 7 unders have hit at a 63% clip dating back to the 2005 NBA season, per Action Network. 

While this trend has been priced in, the Game 7 total is more than five points lower at 195.5, I’m still going to trust the defense of each team to grind this game to a halt and for it to be decided late with each team failing to crack 100 points. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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