NBA (3/6) | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic: Shooters Shoot
Written by: Varun Sharma
Last Update: Wed Mar 11, 2026, 3:12 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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The Cleveland Cavaliers head to the Sunshine State to take on the Orlando Magic tonight, live at the Kia Center. This is the first game on tonight's slate so let's jump right into it.
Lots to talk discuss, let's jump right into it.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Kia Center; Orlando, Florida
- Date: Wedesnday, March 11th, 2026
- Tipoff: 7:40 PM EST
Key Players
- Donovan Mitchell (CLE): 33.4 MPG | 28.4 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 5.8 APG
- Paolo Banchero (ORL): 34.8 MPG | 22.2 PPG | 8.6 RPG | 5.0 APG
Betting Odds
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Harry Houdini
The Orlando Magic of two years ago pulled a Harry Houdini and disappeared. In Paolo's second year, the Magic won 47 games, won the Southeast Division and went seven games against the Cavaliers in Round 1. Last year Paolo played just 46 games, the Magic finished the year with 41 wins and lost in five games to the Celtics.
This year they reloaded before the season began, bringing in Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies and added another big gun to this offense. Orlando started the year looking bad, they've once again been decimated by injuries but somehow they're still seven games over .500.
Since the All-Star Break, the Magic have won seven of 10 games, including impressive wins over the Timberwolves, Lakers, and Clippers. In that 10-game span, Paolo's averaging 26.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Paolo's stepped up in the Wagner's absence and it looks like he's ready to carry this Magic team into the postseason.
This team goes as far as Paolo can take it. They'll need him to maintain this level of play if they hope to stay out of the play-in tournament.
New Home for Harden
The Cavaliers are 9-2 with James Harden in the lineup. The offense is averaging 115.7 points per game and the team ranks 7th in offensive rating during that time. Harden's had a significant impact across the board with this Cavaliers team and he's made this offense flow better for everyone.
Cleveland now sits 4th in the Eastern Conference, just a half game back of the New York Knicks for third. That could be the difference between playing a team from the play-in tournament or playing a Toronto Raptors team loaded with talent.
The Cavaliers will be without Jarrett Allen tonight and since the arrival of Harden, Allen's been huge for this team. Even with him on the sidelines, this team's loaded with big time players. Donovan Mitchell's averaging nearly 30 points per game this year and Evan Mobley's averaging 18.5 points per game this month.
Wednesday Night's Best Bets
Paolo Banchero o23.5 Points (-114) | Lucky Rebel
Like I said above, Paolo's been so good during this hot stretch for the Magic. He's shooting 50.8% from the field and getting to the line for 7.3 free throw attempts per game in these 10 games and taking nearly 19 shot attempts per game. Paolo's cleared this line in seven of his last 10 games overall and in four straight against Cleveland.
In the four games against the Cavaliers, Paolo's averaging 28.5 points per game and he shot 44% from the field but did average 11.3 free throw attempts per game. The Cavaliers ranks 16th in opponent free throw rate and they just don't have the big bodies to defend a guy like Paolo.
This team only goes as far as Paolo can take it and if he hopes to make it out of the first round this year, tonight should be the perfect test.
Dean Wade o1.5 3s (+165) | Lucky Rebel
This one's going to be a sweat. Dean Wade sees almost no volume and he's only cleared this line in 38% of his games this year. The Magic also rank 1st in 3s allowed, 5th in opponent 3-point percentage and have just been great defensively. This is not for the faint of heart because this bet is not going to be fun.
That being said; in six games with Harden, Wade's cleared this line in four of the six games and he's shooting 60% from beyond the arc. The Magic are also giving up the second most wide open 3-point attempts per game over their last eight games but teams have shot just 32.2% on these wide open shots.
Sam Merrill o2.5 3s (+115) | Lucky Rebel
You can't leave the Cavaliers open because they shoot 41% on wide open threes and none better than Sam Merrill. Merrill leads the team in wide open 3-point attempts and he's hitting 54.1% of these wide open shots. Merrill's also cleared this in five of his 11 games with Harden, shooting 42% from beyond the arc in these 11 games.
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