NBA Betting Odds: Magic Begin Playoffs as Underdog vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic are not expected to win their 2024 NBA Playoffs opener on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 20, 2024

Feb 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots beside / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic are ready to roll as they face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon inside RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

It's the first time the Magic have been to the postseason since 2020 when the league held its playoffs at Disney's Wide World of Sports after COVID pushed the season back several months.

Coming into the game, the Magic are not projected to win. According to SI Sportsbook, the Magic are 5.5-point underdogs against the Cavs just before tipoff.

The Magic have a great history against the spread. They are the only team in the NBA this season to win more than 60 percent of their games against the spread with 51 wins. Meanwhile, the Cavs are just under .500 at 38-42-2 on the year.

The Magic face the Cavs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Related stories on the Orlando Magic

PAOLO BECOMING A SUPERSTAR: Reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero is making his NBA Playoffs debut in just his second season. A win in his first playoff series could accelerate his path towards superstardom. CLICK HERE

PAOLO LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYOFFS: Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero led his team to the playoffs in just his second season after being the No. 1 overall pick. CLICK HERE

HOW TO WATCH GAME 1: The Orlando Magic face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Saturday. Here's what you need to know. CLICK HERE

Published Apr 20, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.