Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Prediction and Betting Tips – April 23

The reigning champion Boston Celtics will look to protect homecourt once more as they face the young Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their opening-round series Wednesday night. Though Jayson Tatum’s status is doubtful, Boston enters the night as a clear favorite.

Here’s a preview of Game 2 of the Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics first-round series, scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Preview and Odds

Moneyline: Magic (+400) vs Celtics (-550)

Spread: Magic +10.5 (-110) vs Celtics -10.5 (-110)

Total (O/U): Magic o197.5 (-110) vs Celtics u197.5 (-110)

Editor’s note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics preview

Oddsmakers anticipate a low-scoring grind, similar to Game 1, where the Celtics controlled the tempo in a 103-86 win.

That matchup exposed Orlando’s offensive gaps beyond Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who scored 36 and 23 respectively. No other Magic player hit double figures, and the rest of the squad combined for just 27 points on 10-of-30 shooting.

Boston, meanwhile, had four players in double digits while shooting 45.1% as a team. Derrick White poured in 30, Payton Pritchard added 19 and All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown chipped in 33 combined — though both had inefficient shooting nights.

A major concern for Boston is Tatum’s availability. He’s listed as doubtful for Game 2 due to a right distal radius bone bruise. In Game 1, he recorded 17 points, 14 rebounds and four assists on 8-for-22 shooting.

Tatum is the only Celtic on the injury report, while the Magic will be without guard Jalen Suggs and backup center Moritz Wagner, both sidelined for the season.

Wednesday could be a chance for Orlando to show improved offensive execution, especially against a Celtics squad potentially missing its star.

Despite logging 17 assists on 34 made field goals in Game 1, Orlando’s 42.0% shooting clip means they’ll need more efficient scoring. Guards Cory Joseph, Anthony Black and Cole Anthony combined for just seven points and five assists — numbers that must rise.

With Tatum possibly out, Boston could lean more on veteran Al Horford and Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard for bigger roles.

Interestingly, the Celtics posted an 8-2 record this season without Tatum. However, both of those losses came at the hands of the Magic — the first in a four-point defeat in December and the second earlier this month in a game where Boston rested most of its starters.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics predicted starting lineups

Magic

G – Cory Joseph | G – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Jr. | F – Franz Wagner | F – Paolo Banchero | C – Wendell Carter Jr.

Celtics

G – Derrick White | G – Jrue Holiday | F – Jaylen Brown | F – Al Horford | C – Kristaps Porzingis

Editor’s note: These are the predicted lineups and could change based on the availability of players.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics betting props

• Paolo Banchero O/U 26.5 points – Take the over.
• Jaylen Brown O/U 21.5 points – Take the over.
• Kristaps Porzingis O/U 19.5 points – Take the under.
• Franz Wagner O/U 22.5 points – Take the under.

Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics prediction

Though Orlando managed to beat a Tatum-less Celtics squad in the regular season twice, the playoffs are a different challenge. With Boston’s deep experience and veteran presence, they should pull off the win. However, expect the game to stay within the spread.

Our prediction: Celtics win by 7.

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John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro