NBA Predictions: Are Magic and Cavaliers going to exceed total? 1/18/18

Magic vs. Cavaliers Pick

Is the total set high enough tonight when the Orlando Magic take on the host Cleveland Cavaliers at 7PM ET?

Who Oddsmakers Like: Cleveland. According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Cavaliers are 11-point favorites on the spread line. The total is set at 226 points. Cleveland opened as a 10.5-point fave, while the over-under has gone up from 225.

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Who the Public Likes: Cleveland. As of Thursday morning, 54 percent of public bets have come in on the Cavaliers.

Injury Report: Magic guard Aaron Afflalo is facing a possible suspension for throwing a punch last game and is questionable tonight. Marreese Speights missed the last game tending to a personal matter and is questionable tonight. Nikola Vucevic is out until late February with a broken hand. Jonathan Isaac is out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Terrence Ross is out indefinitely with a sprained MCL. For the Cavaliers, Derrick Rose is expected to return tonight from a sprained ankle. Iman Shumpert is out until late January as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Who the Trends Like: Orlando is 5-15-1 ATS in the last 21 meetings overall and 2-7-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Cleveland. The under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Cleveland.

Who We Like: The last meeting between these two teams in Orlando on Jan. 6 ended in a 131-127 shootout in favor of the Cavaliers. Orlando is awful defensively and plays up-tempo, while the Cavs can score with anyone but has struggled defensively all season. This has the makings of another meeting where the scoreboard lights up and the total goes over.

 

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: MAGIC/CAVALIERS OVER 226