Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prop Pick: Can Franz Wagner Lift Magic Against Cavaliers?
The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Orlando Magic on Monday night for the second game of the series. Can Franz Wagner help the Magic compete after a double digit loss in Game 1? Ben Rajavuori is back with his top prop pick in Magic vs. Cavaliers.
Ben Rajavuori - April 22, 2024, 5:17 PM EDT
5 minOrlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prop Pick: Can Franz Wagner Lift Magic Against Cavaliers?
The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers will square off in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland tonight. Game 1 featured a very low-scoring game with a final score of 97–83 in favor of the Cavaliers. Neither team could really get their offense going for the majority of the game, and the Cavs were in control pretty much the whole time. Should we expect anything different in Game 2 tonight?
MAGIC VS. CAVALIERS GAME 2 DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: April 22, 2024
- Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: NBA TV
Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
Game 1 was not a good offensive game for the Magic, as they shot just 28–86 from the field, or 32%. They shot 21% from three and 63% from the free-throw line as well. Because they shot so poorly, the team ended with just 16 assists. No one went above their posted line, including Franz Wagner, who finished with just three assists. Tonight, his line is at 3.5 assists, and I think he goes over. Franz Wagner is in his third season in the NBA and third with the Magic. He had the best season of his career this year, averaging 19.7 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game, all career highs. Wagner hit a bit of a lull in March before picking it back up in April and came into the playoffs with some decent offensive momentum. He actually was a pretty effective scorer in game one, shooting 46% from the field on 15 attempts for 18 points. However, he did not convert almost any of his assist opportunities.
At first glance, three assists seem very low for Wagner, but a look at the underlying metrics reveals that was an extreme anomaly. Wagner made 38 passes and had 13 potential assists in game one, but only got three in the box score. This is an extremely low conversion rate, as the Magic were missing nearly everything on Saturday.
The line of 3.5 assists for Wagner is low, and it is one I expect him to hit in Game 2 given how he played in Game 1 and his history against the Cavaliers. Wagner played the Cavs four times during the regular season, passing 3.5 assists in three of them. The only one he didn’t pass this in was a blowout loss in which he only played 24 minutes. Wagner has averaged 4.8 assists against the Cavaliers this year over those four games, and given how many chances he had in Game 1 that he didn’t convert, I like him to bounce back and hit this line in Game 2.
Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prop Pick
Pick: Franz Wagner Over 3.5 Assists (-110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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