With 3 of 4 teams booking their place in the Eastern Conference semifinals, it’s up to the Cavaliers and Magic to decide the 4th and final one. Tip-off for Game 6 is at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN and I’ve prepared a Cavaliers vs Magic Same Game Parlay for this huge matchup, as the Cavs look to move on while Orlando look to force a Game 7. You can also read our NBA picks for each of tonight’s matchups.
After a close win earlier in the week, the Cavs are looking to eliminate Orlando on the road on Friday. They need some more scoring from lead guard Darius Garland if they are going to go far in the playoffs and I expect him to play well tonight. After a rough Game 4, forward Paolo Banchero dropped 39 points in the Game 5 loss the other night. He has been really good in his playoff debut, but it is obvious Orlando needs more around him. Guard Gary Harris was once again a no-show (no points) and that puts too much of a burden on Orlando up front. I do think the Magic will show some toughness in this game, win or lose.
So far the home team has won every game in the series. They have been favored in every game too so it is not surprising that Orlando is favored even though they are facing elimination. I really like Cleveland to close out the series tonight though, even if Allen is not available. Experience wins out.
Read our full Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic predictions
The Magic are desperate to get a lift offensively from anyone not named Paolo Banchero in this series. Aside from Franz Wagner, who is the clear-cut 2nd option on offense, I am looking at Jalen Suggs to step up with the team’s season on the line. He’s scored 24 points in the Game 3 victory at home, highlighting just how important he is to this team. In Tuesday’s game, he logged the most minutes of the series so far at 39, and he was just 1 field goal away from clearing this line. I expect his shooting percentage to go up as role players generally play better when in familiar surroundings. His main matchup on the other end is Donovan Mitchell, who isn’t really regarded as a quality defender, so let’s hope Suggs can exploit that matchup and reach the 15-point mark here.
You can also find out our Dallas Mavericks vs LA Clippers predictions for tonight’s other matchup
