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The Boston Celtics will open postseason defense of their 18th NBA championship and start out on the playoff path to No. 19 on Sunday. Boston will host the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of a first-round best-of-seven NBA playoff series, with tip-off set for 3:40 p.
m. ET. Winning consecutive championships in the NBA certainly isn’t easy.
The Celtics have not repeated since the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Yes, even the legendary Larry Bird teams never won two straight championships. Matchups should get tougher as the Eastern Conference playoffs progress, but for Game 1, the decisions to make from wagering perspectives will be to forecast whether Boston can cover a large spread, and how much the Orlando defense might hold the Celtics offense in check.
View our expert sports betting guide for the NBA Playoffs. Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies predictions and best bets Note: Odds are based on the best value our experts find as of publication; check lines closer to game time to ensure you get the best odds.
Both of these teams are capable of playing strong defense, which is why I am recommending the Under here. Jaylen Brown is also playing through a sore knee, which could bog the offense down further, and the Magic defenders can focus more on attempting to contain Tatum. The Celtics can still cover the hefty spread because they have much better balance on offense outside of their top two scorers.
When Tatum is facing heavy defensive attention and Brown might be compromised, Kristaps Porzingis (19.5 points per game), Derrick White (16.4) and outstanding sixth man Peyton Pritchard will make the Magic pay, as Boston whips the ball around to find the open man on key possessions.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner combined to average over 50 points per game during the regular season, but with Jalen Suggs out, no other Orlando player averaged 13 points per game. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a significant disappointment, averaging under nine points per game. The Magic ranked 28th in the NBA in points per game at 105.
4. Only Brooklyn and Charlotte were worse. Orlando ranked 27th in field goal percentage with a team mark of 44.
5%, and last in the NBA with 11.2 three-pointers per game. Boston led the league in three-pointers made per game at 17.
8. Boston was 11-8 to the Under in its final 19 regular season games. Orlando was 6-4 to the Under in its final 10 games.
The Magic were 19-22 Against the Spread as an away team and were 13-20-1 ATS as an Underdog. Celtics vs. Magic moneyline odds analysis Best odds: -1000 at bet365 Tatum was one of only five NBA players to average at least 25.
0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists during the regular season.
He ranked fifth in the league with 1,932 points scored. Pritchard led all NBA reserves in points (1,079) and three-pointers (246), and he was also third overall in assists (257). In a late December matchup vs.
Orlando, Brown finished with 35 points and nine rebounds. Even if he is less than 100 percent, expect him to get a lot of defensive respect. Pritchard and White both ranked in the top 5 in the league in three-pointers made.
With a season average of 26.8 points per game, Tatum ranked second in the Eastern Conference. Joe Mazzulla was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in March.
He has a 27-12 playoff record. Last season, the 36-year-old became the youngest head coach in NBA history to win a championship since 1969. Best odds: +650 at Caesars Sportsbook Wagner led (the Magic or tied for the lead in scoring 33 times, in rebounding 12 times, and in assists 30 times.
Banchero finished with 20-plus points 35 times, 30-plus points 18 times, and 40-plus points four times. Orlando trampled Atlanta, 120-95, in an Eastern Conference playoff game to claim the seventh seed. The Magic held the Hawks to 38.
1 shooting from the field and 4-for-21 from three-point range. During the regular season, Orlando won 19 road games, which was its most since 2011. The Magic allowed only 11.
84 second-chance points per game, which led the NBA. Their 45.68 points per game in the paint allowed ranked second in the league.
Defense is what the team relies on, as its 105.5 points per game allowed was the best mark in the league. More Sports Betting.
