Magic Should Put Up A Fight Early

Magic vs. Cavaliers, 8:00 ET

We are almost at the end of the NBA regular season, and believe it or not, that is something to look forward to. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but last year was awesome when the league hit the postseason. The games were great, the series were even better. Very few blowouts, and a lot of highly competitive games. There were still a ton of threes, which went from being awesome to watch to being overkill, but the effort was higher. Maybe we will get that again this year. I'm looking forward to the league getting to the end of the regular season and watching some fun games with teams like the Magic and Cavaliers making runs. 

The Magic entered the year as a bit of a media darling. The expectation was that after they acquired Desmond Bane, the team would be able to take that next step forward. There have been issues all season with injuries and that has caused lineup combination struggles. Even tonight, they will be without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. Both of those guys are normally starters for the team. They also will be without Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black, two guys that are strong contributors for the club. That leaves a starting lineup of Jevon Carter, Bane, Tristan da Silva, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter. That's not bad, but we've seen this hasn't been an overly powerful lineup. For the year, the Magic are just 38-33, and they are under .500 on the road with a 16-17 record. After winning seven straight, the Magic have now lost five in a row. It is interesting, in their three home games, they've lost by a total of eight points. In the two road games they've lost by 12 and 19. 

Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavs changed things up this year. They seem to be trying to maximize their window for a championship. The reality is that this team probably still doesn't have enough. Their starting lineup is solid with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and now James Harden. However, they are still lacking Jarrett Allen who is out with injury, and I'm not a big fan of Sam Merrill or Dean Wade. The addition of Harden has been strong for the team. Since getting him, the Cavs have gone 12-4 over the 16 games he has played. He is averaging about 22 points, eight assists, and six rebounds for the team this month as well. Max Strus has come back recently to give them some additional shooting from the outside. I think an underrated move was getting Dennis Schroder who can lead the second unit as well. 

When I first looked at the line on this game, I thought it was too far in favor of the Cavs, and I still kind of feel that way. The Magic are playing in their third game in four nights, with a back-to-back, and travel. That's usually the worst spot for an NBA team. The Cavs haven't played since Saturday. The Magic should be able to keep the first half of this game close. The Cavs will be a bit rusty after an extra day off, and the Magic should have energy in the first half before the tired legs and travel give up on them. Take Orlando -6.5 in the first half of the game.

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