The Boston Celtics head down to Orlando to take on the Magic on Wednesday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Celtics-Magic prediction and pick.
Boston is in the middle of a crowded battle for the last few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have been reeling of late and will have to go on a run down the stretch if they hope to surpass the Heat and avoid the play-in tournament.
Although Orlando has shifted their sights to next season, they aren't exactly throwing in the towel. The Magic have won three of their last four games coming in.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Celtics-Magic odds.
NBA Odds: Celtics-Magic Odds
Boston Celtics -10 (-110)
Orlando Magic +10 (-110)
Over 218 Points (-115)
Under 218 Points (-105)
Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread
The Boston Celtics entered this season with high expectations and have been an absolute mess all year long. Although they are three games above .500, their championship hopes are virtually non-existent at this point. The Celtics didn't look very good in their recent 10-point loss against the Portland Trail Blazers yet the NBA odds still favor them by 10 against the Magic. Boston turned the ball over a whopping 18 times in that game against Portland. It's unfortunate given the talent and play of their leader, Jayson Tatum.
Tatum was phenomenal in the recent loss with 33 points despite the lack of help elsewhere. One bright spot was that Evan Fournier finally woke up with 21 points of his own. Tatum and Jaylen Brown were both hobbled in the game against Portland, which will cause Brown to miss this contest against Orlando. Even without Brown, Boston is in a clear get-right spot against the Magic and will have to get something going on both ends of the floor with the postseason right around the corner. Boston is 5-0 in their last five games against the Orlando Magic.
Why The Magic Could Cover The Spread
The Orlando Magic have certainly had a season to forget, but aren't going down without a fight. Orlando has won three of their last four games coming in and are showing that they are playing for pride and momentum going into next year. Guys like Mo Bamba and Cole Anthony have shown signs of their promising futures with stellar performances of late. They will certainly need heroic showings to defeat the Boston Celtics in this game.
Mo Bamba has been especially impressive as he has been their best player off the bench and looks like a guy that could finally be living up to all of the hype when he was drafted in the first round. He's finally seeing time as the starting center since the departure of Nikola Vucevic, which is exactly what he needs heading into next season. With a plethora of injuries, it will be very difficult for Orlando to pull off the victory in this affair. If they can continue to compete at a high level and get contributions from unlikely sources, they can certainly keep this game within single digits, though which would be enough to cover the NBA odds set for this one.
Final Celtics-Magic Prediction & Pick
These two teams have been over machines of late. Boston games have gone over the total in five straight. They've been scoring a ton and giving up even more. With the way that Jayson Tatum has been playing, you can almost guarantee that this Celtics team will score 110+ on a regular basis right now. Orlando games have gone over the total in six of the last seven and the Magic seem to be finding sources of offense in every game they play lately. Boston definitely has a chance to cover this spread but with the defense that they've been playing lately, the over has a higher chance of hitting in this matchup.
FINAL PICK: Over 218.5 Points (-115)
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