Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic on Thursday, January 7 is about as close to a coin flip as the ratings get, with the Magic at only 56%. Small things like rest, health and shooting variance should decide it.
Why it is so close
The Win Meter reads the Magic 56%, with a projected score of Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Orlando Magic 114. The rating gap is 56 points in favor of the Cavaliers, and home court and rest add about 100 rating points for the Magic on top of that.
Readings in this range leave plenty of room for the other side. About 44 times in 100 games like this, the Cavaliers would win.
Recent form
The Cavaliers are 0-1 this season and 0-5 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -17. The Magic are 0-2 this season and 0-5 in their last 5 games, with an average margin of -14.4.
The Cavaliers were beaten 130-93 at home by NYK not long ago.
The Magic were beaten 115-93 at home by MIN not long ago.
Injuries to watch
Out: Khalifa Diop (CLE), Nae'Qwan Tomlin (CLE), Ernest Udeh, Jr. (CLE), Izaiyah Nelson (ORL), expected back Nov 18, 2026, and Noah Penda (ORL), expected back Nov 18, 2026.
Day to day or questionable: Anthony Black (ORL), Jonathan Isaac (ORL), and Paolo Banchero (ORL). Their status can change before tip-off.
The season series
In our records of recent meetings, the Cavaliers lead 5-2, with the Cavaliers outscoring the Magic by an average of 10.7 points per game. The last meeting was ORL 131, CLE 136.