Tip off: 7:05 PM EST
Spread: ORL -9
Total: 190.5
M/L: ORL -475, CLE +395
Betting Odds taken from Bookmaker
Orlando
The dust has settled from the Dwight Howard fiasco, and the Magic have won two out of their last four since that debacle came to an end. Winning by 18 over the Nets in impressive fashion the night after the trade deadline, they went on to drop back to back contests to Miami and Chicago before ending the bleeding by beating the Phoenix Suns at the Amway Wednesday night.
Ryan Anderson still remains the key for the Magic, but they must get Jameer Nelson involved more. Dwight Howard is a consistent force, but it will be the contributions of the Magic role players that determines whether this team can advance beyond the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Magic are going to have to make some moves to keep Dwight Howard in town though, and teams aren’t just willing to hand off star players without receiving something valuable in return, and the Magic don’t have many pieces outside the aforementioned Anderson, who is on a reasonable $2.2 million contract.
Magic Betting Trends:
The Magic are 26-22 ATS this season and 19-15 ATS as a favorite. They are 5-0 ATS as a home favorite of 6 to 9.5 points and they are 14-11 ATS in home games. They are 15-12 ATS in the second half of the season and 10-2 ATS after a non-conference game. They are 11-10 ATS vs teams with losing records.
Cleveland
There’s not a lot to be excited about in Cleveland, unless you like exciting point guards! Kyrie Irving has become one of the best young players in the game and has drawn a lot of comparisons to Derrick Rose and Chris Paul. His command of the ball and ability to get to the hole is phenomenal, and he will likely play for Team USA in 2016.
Tristan Thompson has also impressed. The 6’10” Canadian should team up with Irving nicely, and the Cavs will still have a high draft pick this year to snag someone else to pair with the duo. With Varejao manning the paint, one would have to figure the Cavs will go with a swing man in the draft, and Jared Sullinger of OSU could be a real possibility.
Cavs Betting Trends:
The Cavs are 22-21 ATS this season and 19-14 ATS as an underdog. They are 13-8 ATS on the road and 10-13 ATS in the second half of the season. They are 5-5 ATS vs. Southeast division opponents and 10-10 ATS vs. teams with winning records.
