Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics NBA Betting Prediction

NBA Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Prediction 1/17/2025

The Orlando Magic (23-19) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (28-12) on Friday, January 17th. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on ESPN. Both the Magic and Celtics will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Magic vs Celtics

orlando magic nba

The Magic Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Magic fell to 23-19 on the season after a 122-93 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday. Orlando, who entered the game as +6.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread, and the combined score of 215 points narrowly exceeded the O/U line of 212.5.

A 19-0 run by Milwaukee early in the game put Orlando in a deep hole, as the Bucks extended their lead from 11-9 to 30-9. The Magic couldn’t recover, trailing 92-68 going into the 4th quarter, where Milwaukee outscored them 30-25.

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Celtics dropped to 28-12 on the season after a 110-97 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday. Boston was favored by 14 points but couldn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total of 207 points fell well short of the 229.5-point O/U line.

Toronto took control with a 12-0 run early on, and while Boston kept it close, trailing 88-82 going into the 4th quarter, they were outscored 22-15 in the final period.

Magic Offense Breakdown

In their 122-93 loss to the Bucks, the Magic shot just 34.7% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range. Paolo Banchero led the team with 22 points, including 7 in both the 1st and 4th quarters.

Trevelin Queen added 13 points, with 9 coming in the final period, and Wendell Carter Jr. contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Magic hit 12 threes in the game, with Queen and Carter each making 2.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

boston celtics

In their 110-97 loss to the Raptors, the Celtics shot just 39.6% from the field, with a 34.8% mark from three-point range. Payton Pritchard led the way with 20 points, hitting 4 threes at a 50% clip, while Kristaps Porzingis also connected on 4 threes, shooting 80% from deep and finishing with 18 points.

Jayson Tatum added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, though he shot just 33.3% from the field and from beyond the arc. The Celtics made 16 threes as a team, with Pritchard contributing 8 points in the 2nd quarter and Tatum scoring 8 in the 3rd.

Magic Team Defense

The Magic struggled defensively against the Bucks, giving up 122 points on 62% shooting. They allowed 34 points in the 1st quarter and 30 in both the 3rd and 4th quarters. Despite the tough outing, Orlando limited Milwaukee to just 7 made three-pointers.

Orlando sent the Bucks to the line 35 times, where they hit 25 free throws. The Magic gave up only 3 offensive rebounds while recording 13 steals in the game.

Celtics Team Defense

The Magic struggled defensively against the Bucks, giving up 122 points on 62% shooting. Orlando allowed 34 points in the 1st quarter and 30 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Orlando did limit Milwaukee’s three-point attempts, allowing just 7 made threes, but the Bucks still shot 58% from deep. The Magic sent the Bucks to the line 35 times, where they made 25 free throws. Defensively, the Magic recorded 13 steals and 1 block.

Magic vs Celtics Trends

  • Across their ten previous road games, Orlando has an ATS mark of 5-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 103 points per game.
  • Through their last ten home contests, the Celtics offense has averaged 112 points per game while allowing an average of 107. Boston posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 3-6-1 ATS.
  • As the betting underdog, the Magic have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. Orlando posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
  • Going back to their previous five games as the favorite, Boston has an ATS mark of 1-4 while going 2-3 straight up.

Magic vs Celtics Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Celtics, with a final score of 138-75, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Celtics at -12.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 211 and given that our model is projecting 213 points between the teams, we like the over.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.