Cavaliers vs. Magic Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2 -108 | 201.5 -110o / -110u | +112 |
| Magic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2 -112 | 201.5 -110o / -110u | -132 |
Here's everything you need to know about Cavaliers vs. Magic on Saturday, April 27 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today's game.
There won't be a sweep in Orlando, as the Magic looked dominant in a 121-83 home victory over the Cavaliers. The 38-point loss was the worst in Cavaliers playoff history.
Although the game was essentially a must-win for Orlando, perhaps Cleveland was a bit overconfident coming in with a 2-0 lead in the series.
While the Cavaliers would probably readily admit privately the effort wasn't there from the first whistle, things could change rather quickly if they make rebounding a priority in Game 4.
Let's break this one down in our Cavs vs. Magic preview.
Cleveland Cavaliers
It looked like the Cavaliers would pick up right where they left off in Game 2 after jumping out to an early 6-0 lead in Orlando. However, the Magic caught fire in the first quarter by hitting five 3-pointers.
Orlando scored 16 of the final 21 points in the quarter to take a 31-21 lead. The Cavaliers made just eight 3-pointers in the game, compared to 13 for the Magic. It was a complete role reversal for a Cleveland team that ranks seventh at 13.4 3-pointers per game.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen fully acknowledged after the game that his teammates struggled to get up to speed.
"I felt like they came out ready to attack," Allen told reporters. "We felt like we were a step behind in every single thing that they did. … We were just a little slow."
Perhaps the lone bright spot in the loss for the Cavaliers is their starters got plenty of rest on the bench since the game turned into a blowout.
Considering Cleveland lost all four quarters in the game, you almost have to just wipe the slate clean and start anew.
Orlando Magic
After failing to reach the 90-point mark in the first two games, Orlando knew it had to try something different or the team might not force the series back to Cleveland.
Orlando's play was clearly aggressive from the start of the game. Although it attempted the same number of 3-pointers (37) in Game 3 as in Game 2, the results were much better this time.
However, the Cavaliers didn't cover themselves in much glory by contesting only 11 of those 37 3-point attempts, per NBA.com. That number speaks to Cleveland's lack of overall effort in the loss.
Although Orlando might not necessarily light it up from the perimeter, any NBA team is more than capable of having a good shooting night. The Magic shot just 23.6% from the perimeter through the first two games but increased that to 35.1% in Game 3.
Everything seemed to work for the Magic, who shot 51.1% from the floor.
Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see if Orlando can put together a similar effort against a Cleveland team that should be much more engaged coming off a humiliating loss.
Cavaliers vs. Magic
Betting Pick & Prediction
Orlando's win in Game 3 was primarily due to its commitment to rebounding the basketball. The Magic out-rebounded the Cavaliers 51-32, creating a +14 margin in extra scoring chances and 22 fast-break points.
Rebounding isn't one of Orlando's strong suits, as it ranked 25th during the season with 42.3 rebounds per game. Before Game 3, Cleveland had out-rebounded Orlando 102-81. Moreover, Game 3 marked the first time in seven meetings this season that the Magic out-rebounded the Cavaliers.
Thus, I think it's fair to say Orlando's dominance on the glass was a bit of an anomaly. With a bit more effort, Cleveland should be able to reclaim its rebounding edge. Game 4 will be a test of pride for the Cavaliers, and I expect them to perform much better.
According to our Action Labs database, lower-seeded teams coming off a double-digit loss in the playoffs are 154-134-4 (53.5%) against the spread, and this angle is currently on a 5-0 run.
After shopping around, BetMGM is offering the Cavaliers at +2.5, with the odds slightly juiced at -115.
