Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Boston Celtics
Orlando Magic
On April 24, the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic will face off in their second NBA playoff series meeting. Should we expect high scoring from the hosts? Here's my betting suggestion.
Boston Celtics
Everything is predictably going well for Boston, as the team had a strong regular season, finishing second in the East. Naturally, high results are expected from the club, as the champion status obliges them to defend the title. The Celtics have many strong sides, including superstars, good teamwork, and a well-coordinated team.
The team has great chances for the championship, the main thing is to avoid injuries. Before the second meeting, Tatum had an injury, hurting his wrist after a hard foul in the first game.
Orlando Magic
This season, Orlando is performing at a mid-level; they even had to play an additional play-in game to make it to the playoffs, where they confidently defeated Atlanta on their home court. Staying in the playoffs will be difficult, as the Magic clearly lag behind Boston in terms of roster.
It will be hard to claim anything in away games, Orlando's main chances will come on their home court. Banchero is showing decent numbers, but there's little support from his teammates. The team has two personnel losses ahead of this meeting.
Match facts
- Boston has won its last five home games.
- Orlando has won 19 of 41 away games.
- Bookmakers offer these odds: P1 – 1.18, P2 – 5.
H2H
In the first game of the series, there was no miracle; Boston won 103-86, although the most prolific player of the game was Banchero, scoring 36 points and also achieving a double-double. For the Celtics, Derrick White had a standout game, scoring 30 points, while the leaders Brown and Tatum combined for 33 points.
Prediction
Boston is a big favorite, and this is an undeniable fact, meeting the current champion against a good and solid team, but nothing more. I think the Celtics have every chance to quickly close this series. The hosts should control the course of the match, and it's very likely there will be a lot of three-point shots from them again. I consider a bet on Boston's individual total over 105 points promising.
