Celtics vs. Magic Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
No game is a gimme in the NBA – but for the Boston Celtics, Wednesday’s road meeting with the Orlando Magic is as close as it gets. The Celtics are in must-win mode for the remainder of the regular season as they look to avoid settling for an Eastern Conference play-in game. And the seventh-placed club finds itself in a great position Wednesday as a double-digit favourite on the NBA odds, against a Magic team just trying to get to the end of the season.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Double-digit spreads are always intriguing from a betting standpoint – and Sports Interaction respondents are all in on the Celtics here, with 77 per cent taking the road team minus the 10.5 points. There isn’t much historical data on Boston as a double-digit road fave – it has happened just eight times since 2009 – but the trend isn’t great. The Celtics are just 2-10-1 against the spread in their previous 13 games when giving 10 or more points away from TD Garden.
The consensus play on the total is the O218.5, which carries -110 odds. The Celtics have seen video game-like results of late, riding a five-game Over streak, during which their games have averaged a whopping 245 points. The Magic are also riding a solid Over trend, having gone 6-1 O/U in their past seven games. But bettors beware: the teams have played to the Under in four of their previous five encounters at Amway Center.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics nearly saw their entire season implode before their eyes last time out, when star teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were involved in a scary collision against the Portland Trail Blazers. Fortunately for Boston, neither player was seriously injured, though Brown will miss Wednesday’s game with a sprained ankle. His absence will be felt on the attack, as Brown averages 24.7 points for the season (good for 17th in the NBA).
Orlando Magic
With the playoffs long gone, the Magic are taking the opportunity over the final few weeks of the regular season to give some of their non-impact players a larger role in the offence. The result: A more balanced distribution of minutes that might make guys like Moritz Wagner and Chasson Randle happy, but doesn’t do much for bettors taking the Over on starter player props. It might be wise for prop players to focus on the Unders where Orlando is concerned.
BOS
ORL