Magic vs Cavaliers Game 5 Picks, Odds | NBA Playoffs Prediction

The 2024 NBA Playoffs continue with a solid 3-game slate on Tuesday night -- and the second matchup of the evening we'll preview is Magic vs. Cavaliers Game 5, which is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

The Cavs are 4.5-point home favorites on the spread in Tuesday's contest, while the total is set at over/under 200.5 total points at DraftKings.

Here's everything you need to know about Magic vs. Cavaliers Game 5 -- the latest betting odds, as well as our expert picks and prediction for the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, April 30.

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Magic vs Cavaliers Odds

ORL @ CLE Odds

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Magic vs Cavaliers Picks & Prediction

Not going to lie, I felt pretty dumb about picking the Magic to win this series after getting crushed on the road in Games 1 and 2 – and quite frankly, I’m still not quite sure if they have what it takes to win two of the next three games (two on the road). However, I’m just glad the bettors who decided to lay the -200 price tag with Cleveland in the series market without giving much thought to Orlando have all worked up a healthy sweat at this point, as the Cavaliers and Magic travel back to Cleveland for Game 5 tied up 2-2 following a pair of commanding home wins for the underdogs.

The Magic’s wins in Games 3 and 4 weren’t just “impressive” though. The wins were far more dominant than Cleveland’s victories in Games 1 and 2, considering the Cavaliers’ two wins came at a combined point differential of +24, while Orlando’s two wins came by a combined differential of +61. So the question is, did the Magic finally figure out something ahead of Game 3? Or, does homecourt advantage simply make that big of a difference for these two teams?

Weirdly enough, the answer might actually be the latter…

The Cavaliers offense has consistently struggled throughout this series regardless of homecourt advantage, highlighted by Cleveland scoring less than 100 points (91.3 PPG) in all four games so far – while shooting 43% from the field and 29% from 3-point range in two home matchups, and then 42% from the field and 24% from 3-point range in two road matchups.

With that in mind, Orlando seems to be the team creating enormous swings based on game location; not Cleveland. In the first two games of this series, the Magic genuinely looked like one of the worst playoff offenses I’ve ever laid eyes on, as Orlando averaged just 84.5 points per game on 34% from the field and 24% from 3-point range on the road in Games 1 and 2.

At home in Games 3 and 4, however, Orlando was arguably the best scoring offense in the playoffs thus far, highlighted by the Magic erupting for 116.5 points per game on 53% from the field and 40% from 3-point range – the best home offensive rating in the playoffs thus far (127.3) – in a pair of convincing wins at the Kia Center to even up the series at 2-2 over the weekend.

Keep in mind though, the Magic are a very young, inexperienced team – and young players tend to feed off the energy of the home crowd a little bit more, but they also tend to struggle on the road, especially in the playoffs. Orlando is no exception to that claim. The Magic went 29-12 at home during the regular season, as opposed to 18-23 on the road – and the highs-and-lows based on game location have only grown further apart in their first four games of the playoffs.

However, on the off chance that I’m way off about the homecourt factor and the Magic plow through the rest of this series, I am going to reluctantly stay away from siding with the Cavs in Game 4 and take the under. In the first two matchups of this series in Cleveland, these two teams combined for just 181 points per game – with neither side crossing the 100-point mark in either contest, as the Magic maxed out at 86, while the Cavs managed to climb to 97. 

As we enter Game 5, Cleveland still hasn’t crossed the 100-point mark, and Orlando is likely due for a heavy downtick in offensive production as the series transitions away from the Magic’s home arena on Tuesday night.

Pick: Under 200.5 (-110)

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Magic vs Cavaliers Game Time & TV Channel

Date: Tuesday, April 30
Matchup: Southeast vs Central
Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Location: Cleveland, OH
Time-TV: NBA TV, 8:00 p.m. ET

Magic vs Cavaliers Betting Stats

3) Cleveland Cavaliers
(2nd Place, Central)

  • Odds to Win Finals: +7500
  • Odds to Win Conference: +2100
  • Odds to Win Series: -176
  • SU: 48-34
  • ATS: 39-43
  • O/U: 40-41-1
  • PPG: 112.6
  • OPPG: 110.2

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6) Orlando Magic
(1st Place, Southeast)

  • Odds To Win Finals: +17000
  • Odds to Win Conference: +4100
  • Odds to Win Series: +142
  • SU: 47-35
  • ATS: 51-31
  • O/U: 37-44-1
  • PPG: 110.5
  • OPPG: 108.4

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