Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers (Oct. 11, 2026): 3 Things to Watch, Odds and Prediction

• How To Watch: ESPN, DAZN (Cleveland)
• STREAM MAGIC-CAVS ON FUBO TV
• How to Listen: WTAM 1100 (Cleveland); 100.7 WMMS (Cleveland); SiriusXM Channel 885 (Cavs); NBA Audio League Pass (National)
• FOLLOW LIVE: @OMAGICDAILY
• Tickets: $6-$126+ on StubHub
• Regular Season Series: Tonight in Cleveland (Preseason); Oct. 13 in Orlando (Preseason); Dec. 16 in Orlando; Jan. 7 in Orlando; Feb. 6 in Cleveland
• 2026 Season Series: Cavs 119, Magic 105 in Orlando on Jan. 24; Cavs 114, Magic 98 in Cleveland on Jan. 26; Magic 128, Cavs 122 in Orlando on March 11; Cavs 136, Magic 131 in Cleveland on March 24

Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers: Stats and 3 Keys to Watch

1. Move the ball

The most stunning thing about the Orlando Magic's preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies was simply how the Magic moved the ball.

The Magic recorded 35 assists on 41 field goal makes in Wednesday's win. They hit 35 assists just three times last season. And certainly none of them had the ratio of assists to field goal makes that this game had.

That is likely not sustainable. Neither is taking more 2-point field goals than 3-point field goals.

But the team would be upset about that if the team were not getting so many good looks. That is what good passing will do.

The bigger question is whether the Magic will repeat this. Whether this is the new way the Magic will do things.

Last year, Orlando 14th in assists per game at 26.5 per game and 11th with 293.3 pass per game. The NBA is not keeping tracking stats during the preseason. So everyone will find out soon enough if this real.

Orlando would love to make that kind of passing impact again.

2. Guard Organization

The Orlando Magic have one of the most unique and different forward lineups in the league. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who combined for 12 assists in Wednesday's preseason opener, are a bear to handle. Few teams have the forwards to defend them. And that is what gives the Magic such a huge advantage.

The guards are a different story. And that is always what has made the Orlando Magic's matchups with the Cleveland Cavaliers so fascinating.

The Magic's guard situation is not dire by any means. Desmond Bane is a solid shooter and can hold his own on defense. Jalen Suggs is an ace defender.

But if there was one weakness the Magic put on display in the Wednesday's game, it was their lack of depth at point guard.

Jase Richardson got the start and struggled to contain Ty Jerome, who scored 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Richardson took only two shots, even when he was playing with bench players in the game.

The Cavaliers have guards that will test the Magic's basic perimeter defense. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are about as good as a backcourt duo gets in the league right now.

This is probably not a game to write off the Magic's backcourt duo with Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black still waiting to return. But guard remains a pressure point for the Magic.

3. Offensive rebounds

The other weakness that reared its head in the preseason opener was the team's rebounding.

Zach Edey was a huge presence in the paint with four rebounds in his limited minutes. The Memphis Grizzlies had 13 offensive rebounds for 20 second-chance points in the game. It was an issue as the Grizzlies clawed their way back into the game. The Magic failed to finish possessions.

Ultimately, rebounding won the game for the Orlando Magic. The Magic were dominant themselves on the offensive glass and it helped them keep the Grizzlies at arm's length.

That is virtually meaningless. But the offensive rebounding became a huge point in the Magic, ultimately, scoring the victory.

The Magic have a 40.0 percent offensive rebound rate from that initial game. That ranks fifth in the preseason. The Cleveland Cavaliers have the worst rebound rate from their first preseason game at 53.1 percent. There will be a lot of rebounds to grab.

Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers: Injury Report & Projected Lineups

Orlando Magic Injury Report*

• Jalen Suggs -- DOUBTFUL (Illness)
• Anthony Black -- QUESTIONABLE (Ankle Sprain)
• Noah Penda -- QUESTIONABLE (Sore Calf)
• Jonathan Isaac -- OUT (Personal Reasons)
• Izaiyah Nelson -- OUT (Ankle Surgery)

Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report*

• James Harden -- QUESTIONABLE (Ankle)
• Nae'Qwon Tomlin -- QUESTIONABLE (Back)
• Khalifa Diop -- QUESTIONABLE

*Injury report based on media reports. There is no official injury reports during the preseason.

Projected Starting Lineups

Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers: Prediction

2027 Preseason Record: 1-0/1-0
2026 Record: 55-36/39-52 ATS

One of the issues with the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster this year is that it is built very similarly to the Orlando Magic's roster. They are very top-heavy, with all of their money concentrated in their stars.

Those stars are good enough to hold their own and carry the team through most things. But it is also makes the team highly volatile. That is part of what went wrong in the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss to the Boston Celtics in their preseason opener.

Then again, it was a preseason game. What does it matter? The Cavs' veteran players know how to get themselves ready for the season. Nobody is likely concerned.

Cleveland still scored a lot in the paint -- 62 points in the game against Boston. And the Cavs still have all that potency at guard.

Orlando will likely win because of that depth. The Magic have a great G-League team.

What Orlando wants to see int his game is the continuation of the team's excellent ball movement and a more consistent showing on defense. The point is to keep growing and improving game over game. That remains the task ahead.

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