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NBA Picks & Predictions: Cleveland Cavs at Orlando Magic

Written January 29, 2009 by Jay Horne

cavs-magic-predictions-012909 The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the NBA in winning percentage at 81.4% and sport a perfect 21-0 record at home. However, the Cavs will be taking to the road on Thursday night in a big Eastern Conference showdown with the top team from the Southeast division the Orlando Magic. The Magic held the best record in the NBA before suffering back to back losses at the hands of Boston and Miami. Orlando bounced back from that in a big way with an impressive blowout victory over the Indiana Pacers 135-111. Cleveland on the other hand has knocked off 4 straight fresh off a 117-110 victory over the Kings on Tuesday night and will try to get a big win on the road where they have struggled at times this season. The Magic are favored by 4.5 points at home over the Cleveland Cavs.

Cleveland became the 5th team in NBA history to get off to a 21-0 start at home with their victory over Sacramento on Tuesday night. However, the Cavs have not fared near as well on the road with a mark of 14-8. The Cavs will be going for their 9th win in their past 11 outings when they take the floor on Thursday despite battling a stretch without starters Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas out due to injuries. Ilgauskas is actually nearing a return and is listed as questionable after missing a few weeks with a fractured ankle.

The battle with Orlando follows a huge performance by two Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Lebron James recorded a triple double with 27 points, 11 assist, and 15 boards. However, Mo Williams was the man everyone was watching considering he knocked down an amazing 43 points reaching the highest total in his professional career. The Cavaliers will look for another big performance from Williams on Thursday night considering West is out and Ilgauskas will likely miss the game meaning Cleveland will need somebody besides James to support the cause. However when James is on he can carry a team on his back, but we say he has a tougher time against a talented Orlando unit.

Orlando already owns an 8 game advantage over Atlanta in the Southeast division, but their meeting with Cleveland on Thursday night will be a true test for tops in the Eastern Conference considering it appears to be a clear three horse race out of the East between Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. The Magic host one of the best young players in the NBA in 23 year old Dwight Howard. Howard leads the league in rebounding (13.8rpg) and blocked shots (3.2bpg). Howard’s ability to dominate the glass is a big reason the Magic have been so successful. Orlando out rebounded Indiana 50-29 on Tuesday night and similar numbers would definitely help against the Cavaliers. The Over/Under for tonight’s game is 195 points.

Rashard Lewis ranks 2nd on the team in scoring behind Howard (20ppg) with 19.3 points per game. Lewis has really been effective in the last few outing averaging 22 points over the last 4 games including 24 on Tuesday night against the Pacers. Hedo Turkoglu and Jameer Nelson have also given impressive supporting numbers for the Magic this season with both players posting 17 points per contest. Orlando presents a very versatile team that can score from the inside as well as be very dangerous from the perimeter. When all these guys are shooting the ball well, they are almost impossible to beat. However, they will have to overcome the best scoring defense in the league through Cleveland (90.2 points allowed per game) if they want to capture the big victory at Amway Arena.

Pick – Orlando -4.5

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