Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for Friday, Nov. 1 (Trust Cavs)

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Orlando Magic-Cleveland Cavaliers matchup on Friday night.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic suffered a major blow on Friday, as Paolo Banchero – their All-Star forward – is out several weeks with a torn oblique. 

That puts Orlando in a tough spot for their rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers – last season’s first-round playoff series. 

The Cavs are off to a 5-0 start straight up and against the spread, ranking in the top five in the league in net rating and offensive rating. 

Oddsmakers have set them as sizable favorites on Friday night, and rightfully so with Orlando down Paolo.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch and my best bet for this matchup. 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Magic +8 (-108)
• Cavs -8 (-112)

Moneyline

• Magic: +275
• Cavs: -345

Total

• 217.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Magic vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

• Date: Friday, Nov. 1
• Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
• How to Watch (TV): ESPN
• Magic record: 3-2 
• Cavs record: 5-0

Magic vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Magic Injury Report 

• Paolo Banchero – out
• Goga Bitadze – questionable
• Franz Wagner – questionable

Cavs Injury Report

• Emoni Bates – out
• Luke Travers – out
• JT Thor – out
• Max Strus – out
• Craig Porter Jr. – doubtful

Magic vs. Cavaliers Key Players to Watch

Orlando Magic

Franz Wagner: Wagner is dealing with an illness, but he’s going to need to step up as a scorer on Friday night with Banchero sidelined. So far this season, Wagner is averaging 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from 3. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jarrett Allen: It’s been an unreal start to the 2024-25 season for Jarrett Allen. He’s shooting an NBA-high 79.1 percent from the field and averaging 17.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. With the Cavs off to a fast 5-0 start, Allen should be involved heavily in the offense going forward. 

Magic vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

This is one of my favorite bets of the day, and I broke it down in my Peter’s Points column – where I share my NBA best bets every day: 

The Cavaliers are in a prime spot to move to 6-0 on the season when they host the Magic – a first-round playoff rematch – on Friday night.

On Thursday, Orlando announced that All-Star forward Paolo Banchero has a torn oblique and will miss significant time, putting the young Magic in a tough spot on Friday – and going forward.

Just In: Orlando Magic superstar Paolo Banchero has been diagnosed with a torn right oblique and is sidelined indefinitely, sources tell ESPN. He will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks and return to play will be based on how he responds to treatment. pic.twitter.com/hq4qh7IONa

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 1, 2024

Plus, Franz Wagner (illness) is questionable for this game. 

Orlando’s offense runs through Banchero, and there isn’t really anyone on the roster – Wagner included – who can step in and pick up his slack. 

While Orlando is one of the better defensive teams in the league, Cleveland is third in net rating and second in offensive rating so far in the 2024-25 campaign. The Cavs are also a perfect 5-0 against the spread.

There is a little worry that Cleveland is due for a clunker, but I don’t expect it to come at home in what has suddenly become an extremely winnable game. Orlando is just 4-8 all time when Banchero doesn’t suit up. 

Pick: Cavs -8 (-112)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.