Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Game 6: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round
The Orlando Magic will try to stay alive in the series when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 at KIA Center on Friday.
Can the Cavs close it out tonight?
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead in the series with a 104-103 win in Game 5. Things could go wrong, but Evan Mobley made a crucial block late in the game to take the Cavaliers over the edge. Cleveland shot only 43.2% from the field, which proved to be enough for a win. Donovan Mitchell led the scorers with 28 points, followed by Darius Garland, who had 23.
Are the Magic ready for this?
The Orlando Magic dominated the Cavaliers in both games at home and almost stole the next one, but they are now with their backs against the wall going into Game 6 of the series. The Magic had 43 rebounds and shot 46.2% from the field. Paolo Bacnhero was unstoppable, scoring 39 points on 14 of 24 shots from the field. Franz Wagner had 14 points, and Jalen Suggs added 13.
Betting Trends
Cleveland has won 9 of the last 13 games against Orlando. The Cavs are 6-13 ATS in the last 19 games overall, 2-4 ATS in the last 6 games against Orlando and 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games played in May. The Magic are 4-2 ATS in the last 6 games overall, 13-7 ATS in the last 20 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 1-6 ATS in the last 7 games played in May.
Prediction and Conclusion
All five games in the series so far were won by the home team. The first four had double margins, while the last one was tight until the final possession. The Magic could make the crucial win of the series, but now they are hosting the Cavs in a must-win game for them. The Magic won the two home games by 38 and 23, meaning that they have every reason to be confident that they will push the series to Game 7. However, the Magic are a young team with no players with significant playoff experience. Cleveland will go into this one with less pressure than Orlando, and that will make the difference. The Cavs will keep the game close and will at least cover the +3.5-point spread.
