We've got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Friday's NBA schedule as the Orlando Magic will visit the Boston Celtics. Boston is 18-5 overall and 12-0 at home, while Orlando is 16-7 overall and 5-5 on the road. The Magic have won four straight games against Boston, including a 113-96 victory on Nov. 24. Orlando is an NBA-best 17-6 against the spread this season, while the Celtics are 10-11 ATS.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are favored by 6 points in the latest Magic vs. Celtics odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 224 points. Before entering any Celtics vs. Magic picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 8 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 97-51 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Magic. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Magic vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Magic spread: Celtics -6
- Celtics vs. Magic over/under: 224 points
- Celtics vs. Magic money line: Celtics: -234, Magic: +190
- Celtics vs. Magic picks: See picks at SportsLine
What you need to know about the Magic
Last Monday, Orlando was able to grind out a solid victory over Cleveland, taking the game 104-94, which made it back-to-back wins for the Magic. Five players scored at least a dozen points for Orlando, led by Paolo Banchero with 20 points. Franz Wagner added 19 while also contributing eight rebounds and four assists.
The young Orlando duo is battling to be the team's leading scorer with Banchero (20.7 PPG) having the slightest of leads over Wagner (20.6 PPG). They are two of six Magic players averaging in double-figures, and Orlando could get one of those back on Friday. Former top overall pick, Markelle Fultz, has missed the last 15 games with a knee injury but is listed as questionable to suit up tonight. However, Orlando remains without its starting center in Wendell Carter Jr. due to a hand fracture. See which team to pick here.
What you need to know about the Celtics
Meanwhile, the Celtics had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They walked away with a 116-107 victory over Cleveland. Jayson Tatum led the team with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 22 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Boston has balance on both ends of the floor, as it's the only team ranking in the top six in both offensive rating and defensive rating. Tatum, Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are all averaging fewer points than they did last season, but it's been to the betterment of the team as a whole. The Celtics have also gone all-in on the 3-point shot, as they attempt the most per game while shooting the fewest 2-pointers per game. Boston has underwhelmed versus the spread against upper echelon teams though, as it has covered just four times in 12 games against teams that win 55% of their games. See which team to pick here.
Key Betting Info
The Magic have performed about as expected as the underdog this season, and currently sit at 7-7 as such. The Celtics have ambled into every game they've played this season expected to win, and currently sit at 18-5 when favored.
Some of the betting trends to consider are:
- The Magic are 15-4 against the spread in their last 19 games after a day off.
- The Magic are 7-2 against the spread in their last 9 games vs teams that win more than 55 percent of games.
- The Celtics are 9-10-1 against the spread in their last 20 games vs teams allowing more than 102 points per game.
How to make Celtics vs. Magic picks
The model has simulated Magic vs. Celtics 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that hits almost 70% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Magic, and which side of the spread hits in almost 70% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Magic vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model on a 97-51 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, and find out.
