- When: Tuesday, April 30th at 8:00 PM ET
- Who: Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
- Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH
- What: NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs game 5
The series between the Magic and Cavaliers has seen home-court advantage play a crucial role, with Orlando dominating both home games to tie the series at 2-2.
As Game 5 approaches, it could sway the series in one direction.
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Game Preview
Despite their youth and inexperience, the Magic have impressed, particularly with Jalen Suggs' shutdown defense on Donovan Mitchell.
In Game 4, the Magic secured a resounding 112-89 victory over the Cavaliers.
The foul count was tight, with Orlando accumulating 19 fouls compared to Cleveland's 20.
The Magic made 4 out of 17 attempts from beyond the arc, while the Cavaliers shot 81.0% from the free-throw line, making 17 out of 21 shots.
Cleveland managed 29 rebounds (2 offensive, 27 defensive) and 6 blocks, along with 24 assists and 10 steals.
Defensively, Orlando allowed its opponents to shoot 47.2% from the field on 34 of 72 attempts, forcing 15 turnovers and securing 7 steals.
On the rebounding front, the Magic collected 43 rebounds, including 8 offensive rebounds.
They converted 14 out of 19 attempts from the free-throw line for a rate of 73.7%.
Overall, Orlando boasted a 55.8% field goal percentage, making 43 out of 77 shots, and connected on 12 out of 26 attempts from beyond the arc.
Franz Wagner was a standout player for the Magic, scoring 34 points on 13 out of 17 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. He also recorded 4 assists.
Heading into the game, Orlando holds a season record of 47-35, averaging 110.5 points per game and shooting 47.6% from the field.
Defensively, they force an average of 15.0 turnovers per game and draw 20.9 personal fouls.
The Magic have a strong defensive record, ranking 4th in the league in points allowed per game (108.4) and conceding an opponent field goal percentage of 47.4%.
practicing to protect home court. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/lXfiOmnOEg
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 29, 2024
On the other hand, the Cavaliers enter the game with a record of 48-34, committing 17.5 fouls per game and connecting on 76.5% from the free-throw line.
They are adept at earning assists, averaging 28.0 assists per game and collecting 43.3 rebounds per game.
Defensively, the Cavaliers are ranked 7th in the league in points allowed per game (110.2) and force an average of 13.6 turnovers per game.
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Total Points
Offensively, they've outperformed the Cavaliers with a higher offensive rating of 107.5 compared to the Cavs' 96.8, the second-worst in the playoffs.
Cleveland's struggle lies in scoring. Even in their two opening wins, they failed to reach 100 points.
Their offensive efficiency could have improved, especially in the last two games, where they scored a mere 29 points in the second half of Game 4.
Despite a strong home record against Orlando, there are no guarantees in Game 5.
While the old saying suggests a series isn't truly underway until the road team wins, the Magic have a real chance in Game 5.
In this series, only one of the four games has exceeded the total points, with Game 3 seeing Orlando's series-high score of 121 points.
It's been a defensively-focused matchup, pleasing traditional NBA fans.
Cleveland has struggled with three-point shooting, hitting double-digit threes only once in four games and just four in their Game 4 loss.
Per @statmuse, Franz Wagner & Paolo Banchero are two of just three players over the last decade to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, 0 turnovers, and finish as a +25 in a playoff game
I asked Coach Mosley just how special these two are
“You just said it, they’re extremely special” pic.twitter.com/uzHZS0RNNl
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) April 27, 2024
Orlando's top scorer, Paolo Banchero, had an unusually low output with only 9 points in the previous game, which is unlikely to repeat.
Despite the projected total for Game 5 being over 201 points, the series trend suggests otherwise.
Orlando has frequently hit the under against Central Division and Eastern Conference opponents.
Sticking with the under seems prudent until both teams have a high-scoring game. I would bet Under 201 points in this defensive showdown.
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