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Game 2 is Wednesday night as the Orlando Magic aim to even the series against the Boston Celtics. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Magic-Celtics prediction and pick.
Paolo Banchero and the Magic showed up in Boston and threatened the defending champs in the first half of Game 1. After a rough first quarter, they bounced back quickly and won the second quarter 31-22. The Magic ended up leading 49-48 at the break. However, the Celtics were not having it. Boston's defense stepped up in the second half, and Orlando proceeded to score 18 in the third and 19 in the fourth, just 37 total second-half points. If Orlando wants to win a game in this series, they must learn to finish games. The good news moving forward is that they probably won't have a worse second half than in Game 1.
Derrick White might be the best 5th option in the history of the game. You could make an argument that he is the 4th option over Jrue Holiday, but either way, White shows up when the moment is at its brightest. Since coming to Boston from San Antonio, White shaved his head and turned into an elite two-way player. He has length with allows him to defend the wing and block shots. Offensively, he has a quick release on his jumper and is one of the best spot-up shooters in the game. His 30 points in Game 1 propelled the C's over the Magic when Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis didn't play great. Boston aims to stay rolling on their way back to the NBA Finals.
Here are the Magic-Celtics NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Magic-Celtics Game 2 Odds
Orlando Magic: +10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +400
Boston Celtics: -10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -520
Over: 196.5 (-110)
Under: 196.5 (-110)
How To Watch Magic vs. Celtics NBA Playoffs 2025
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
TV: TNT, TruTV, Max
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Why the Magic Will Cover the Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
Not having Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner for this series is going to hurt the Magic. They aren't as deep as they were last season, and the injuries have forced this team to rely on the scoring of Banchero and Franz Wagner. Banchero scored 36 points on 14-27 shooting in Game 1. He plays the game at his own pace and provides a lot of similarities to Tatum. They are both Duke products, but Banchero is slightly bigger. Orlando won't have a chance in this series if he isn't playing at his best, but he can't do it all on his own. He scored almost half of the team's points in Game 1. He needs help.
Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined to score 13 points. Those three are crucial for the Magic to have a chance in this series. Without Suggs, the backcourt will struggle against Holiday and White. Those three must battle through the elite defending and average close to 10 points a game each. Anthony is not having the season he had hoped, especially compared to last season. His career-high in points is 37, he is more than capable of providing scoring to help his team try and steal a win in Boston.
Orlando is +12.5 as of now. They lost Game 1 by 17 and did not cover. I can see Game 2 following a similar trend. If Orlando covers, it will be late. They are 40-41-1 against the spread and 35-47 on over/unders.
Why the Celtics Will Cover the Spread/Win
This team is extremely deep. As mentioned earlier, having White and Holiday as a 4th and 5th option is what makes this team great. Payton Pritchard is on his way to winning Sixth Man of the Year as well. Not only that, the C's contain a veteran in Al Horford, who seems to get better with age. Sam Hauser is a sniper from deep, while Luke Kornet controls the boards when he is in the game.
Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis don't need to all play great every game. We usually see Tatum play well every time he steps on the floor, he rarely has a bad game. Tatum isn't just a scorer. He is an elite rebounder and passer, showcasing some of the best all-around numbers in the game. Tatum is close to a triple-double every game and so he doesn't need to score 30 every time. Knowing he has teammates capable of scoring 20+ each night is what keeps him composed.
However, the Celtics announced Tuesday that Tatum is doubtful for Wednesday's game with a wrist injury that he suffered in Game 1.
The Celtics are 38-43-1 against the spread, which isn't bad considering they are large favorites almost every night.
Final Magic-Celtics Prediction & Pick
The over/under is set really low, so the oddsmakers are expecting another low-scoring effort. If that is the case, then that favors Boston. Orlando is missing key pieces while the Celtics are healthy. With or without Tatum, the Celtics keep rolling and win Game 2 by at least 11 points. We'll also take the over, expecting the game to reach 200 combined points.
Final Magic-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Celtics -10.5 (-110), Over 196.5 (-110)
