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Magic vs. Cavaliers NBA Expert Prediction and Odds for Game 5 of NBA Playoffs

Betting odds, pick and prediction for Game 5 between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers this postseason.

By Peter Dewey

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
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Home teams have held serve in the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic playoff matchup, setting up a critical Game 5 in Cleveland on Tuesday night.

The Cavs are favored at home, where they held the Orlando offense in check in Games 1 and 2, but can they bounce back after two blowout losses in Orlando?

A young team, the Magic appeared to find their footing at Kia Center, and they’re looking to take that momentum into Game 5. A first-round exit in back-to-back seasons would be brutal for the Cavs, especially since they lost to set up this meeting with the Magic. 

Orlando is average against the spread as a road underdog this season, going 15-15 ATS, but the Cavs are just 16-17-1 ATS as home favorites. So, where do we find an advantage as bettors? 

Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet for Game 5 of this Eastern Conference series: 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total 

Magic vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

  • Date: Tuesday, April 30
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
  • How to watch (TV): NBA TV
  • Series: Tied 2-2

Magic vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Magic Injury Report

  • No injuries to report

Cavs Injury Report

  • Ty Jerome – out
  • Craig Porter Jr. – out
  • Dean Wade – out

Magic vs. Cavaliers Key Players to Watch

Orlando Magic

Franz Wagner: The postseason breakout happened for Franz Wagner in Game 4, as he dropped 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting to lead Orlando to an easy win. We all know Paolo Banchero is going to get his – and the Cavs are focused on that – so Wagner could make a massive difference with another big scoring game in Game 5. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell: After two solid games at home, Mitchell disappeared in Orlando, scoring 31 points on 11-of-30 shooting across two games. The Cavs need him to find his All-NBA form if they truly want to win this series. On the bright side, Mitchell had 30 and 23 points in the first two games in Cleveland. 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

I’m going to take the points in Game 5, especially since this series has featured a bunch of low-scoring games (the UNDER hitting in three of the first four), especially in Cleveland. 

Orlando struggled to shoot the ball on the road to open the series, but I do think there is something to be said for the team re-gaining confidence at home to even the series. 

In the first two games of the series, Orlando shot under 25 percent from 3 and made just 17 total shots from beyond the arc. In Games 3 and 4, they made 25-of-63 shots from deep (39.6 percent), and easily won both games. 

I’m not saying Orlando is going to continue to shoot 40 percent from 3 – the team was 24th in the league in 3-point percentage for a reason – but shooting under 25.0 percent is also not the norm. 

Cleveland has to get more from Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to win this series, and I am concerned that the Cavs' bench isn’t equipped to step up if one of the starters underperforms. Cleveland had just 36 total bench points in Games 3 and 4 despite being blown out in both matchups. 

If this turns into another low-scoring dogfight, I like getting the five points with Orlando, who could win this matchup outright. 

Pick: Magic +5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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