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Orlando vs. Cleveland (Magic +4.5)
(NBA) Orlando vs. Cleveland,
Point Spread: 4.50 | -103.00 Orlando (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 4.50 | -103.00 Orlando (Away)
Result: Loss
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This matchup pits two of the NBA's top seven defenses, per Dunks and Threes. The three-point shot will likely be the difference-maker, as Cleveland won its two meetings with Orlando by knocking down more than ten threes, while the Magic won their two games by holding the Cavs under that mark from long range.
I'm not sold Donovan Mitchell is 100 percent healthy, which caps the Cavaliers' upside. Magic guard Jalen Suggs held him to 8-for-19 shooting (42.1%) from the field with four turnovers and two shots blocked during three regular season contests. He'll have his hands full when guarding Mitchell, but maybe not as much as one would assume. The All-NBA performer hasn't played like himself since suffering a bone bruise on his left knee. He's taking the ball to the basket far less often, hasn't been finishing at the rim with authority, and is shooting just 33 percent on pull-up three-pointers.
Without his steady scoring presence, the big, tough Magic will be formidable. Orlando is going to be just fine offensively, too. It ranks seventh in offensive rebounding rate and eighth in points in the paint, plus it sports catch-and-shoot long-range assassins Suggs (39.7%), Gary Harris (37.1%), and Jonathan Isaac (37.5%). With Paolo Banchero's bruising interior presence and Franz Wagner's playmaking ability, Orlando has what it takes to win outright on Saturday, but I'll take the 4.5 points as insurance.
This matchup pits two of the NBA's top seven defenses, per Dunks and Threes. The three-point shot will likely be the difference-maker, as Cleveland won its two meetings with Orlando by knocking down more than ten threes, while the Magic won their two games by holding the Cavs under that mark from long range.
I'm not sold Donovan Mitchell is 100 percent healthy, which caps the Cavaliers' upside. Magic guard Jalen Suggs held him to 8-for-19 shooting (42.1%) from the field with four turnovers and two shots blocked during three regular season contests. He'll have his hands full when guarding Mitchell, but maybe not as much as one would assume. The All-NBA performer hasn't played like himself since suffering a bone bruise on his left knee. He's taking the ball to the basket far less often, hasn't been finishing at the rim with authority, and is shooting just 33 percent on pull-up three-pointers.
Without his steady scoring presence, the big, tough Magic will be formidable. Orlando is going to be just fine offensively, too. It ranks seventh in offensive rebounding rate and eighth in points in the paint, plus it sports catch-and-shoot long-range assassins Suggs (39.7%), Gary Harris (37.1%), and Jonathan Isaac (37.5%). With Paolo Banchero's bruising interior presence and Franz Wagner's playmaking ability, Orlando has what it takes to win outright on Saturday, but I'll take the 4.5 points as insurance.
