Jason Collins
Dailysports's expert
Boston Celtics
Orlando Magic
The NBA season is entering one of its most exciting phases: the playoffs. Here's my exclusive prediction for the Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic game. Can we expect a confident victory from the home team?
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Boston Celtics
As anticipated, the Celtics had a strong regular season, securing 61 wins out of 82 games, earning them the second spot in the Eastern Conference. Let's not forget, Boston is the reigning champion and will strive to defend their title. In their last game, even with a secondary lineup, they defeated the Charlotte Hornets at home 93-86, with Pritchard emerging as the hero, scoring 34 points.
The Celtics finished the regular season well, winning 5 out of their last 6 games. Ahead of this matchup, everyone is healthy except Brown, who is questionable due to an injury.
Orlando Magic
This season, the Magic won exactly half of their regular season games, which was enough for seventh place in the conference. They had to play in the play-in tournament, where Orlando triumphed over the Atlanta Hawks on their home court 120-95. The final quarter was key, with the hosts winning it by 19 points, securing their spot in the playoffs.
Facing the reigning champions will not be easy, although the Magic performed well against the Celtics in the regular season. Moritz Wagner and Suggs will miss the upcoming match due to injuries.
Match Facts
- Boston has 28 home wins in 41 games this season.
- Orlando played 41 away games, winning 19 of them.
- The odds for this match are as follows: Home win – 1.11, Away win – 7.25.
Head-to-Head
The opponents have faced each other three times this season, surprisingly, the score is 2-1 in favor of the Magic, with the home team winning each time.
Prediction
Boston is a big favorite for the upcoming match, and the home team's chances of success are indeed higher. However, Orlando is a strong and resilient team that can put up a fight. I believe the bookmakers have slightly overestimated the Celtics' chances, so I'll take the guest win with a +15.5 point spread.
