Celtics vs Magic NBA Pick: Will The Defending Champions Advance To The Next Round? (Apr 29)

• The Boston Celtics are one win away from advancing to the conference semifinal round.
• Meanwhile, the Magic aim to force a Game 6 back on their home court.
• These teams last played on Apr. 27, with the Celtics claiming a nine-point victory.

One of the games on Tuesday’s NBA slate features the Boston Celtics hosting the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Will the reigning champs close out the series in five, or will the Magic keep their postseason hopes alive in our Celtics vs Magic pick?

Celtics-Magic Game 4 Recap

After enduring some physical play through the first three games, the Cs got a measure of revenge, earning a 107-98 road win in Game 4.

Jayson Tatum put up 37 points on 10-for-25 shooting from the field. He also tallied 14 rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Jaylen Brown also notched a double-double, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis had 19 points, and Derrick White finished with an 18-7-7 effort.

On the other side of the matchup, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were the only players who showed up for Orlando. Banchero scored a team-high 31 points along with seven boards and three assists.

Wagner added 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while Cory Joseph contributed 12 points.

Orlando trailed by as many as nine points before tying the game up at 91 in the final frame. Determined not to let his team lose, Tatum hit a short jumper, knocked down three consecutive free throws, and converted a layup, pushing the Celtics’ lead back to seven points.

Celtics vs Magic Pick: Who Has The Edge In Game 5 Of This First-Round Matchup?

The Celtics dropped two of three against the Magic during the regular season and were 0-3 on the road against Orlando as well.

However, they are one win away from advancing to the next round. Can Boston duplicate its Game 4 effort in the next matchup? Here’s a look at a few betting trends for both sides heading into Game 5.

• The Celtics are 17-3 straight-up (SU) in their last 20 games.
• Boston is 4-8 against the spread in its previous 12 matchups against Eastern Conference opponents.
• The Magic are 0-5 in their last five road matchups against the Celtics.
• Orlando is 10-4 ATS in its previous 14 April contests.

Although Orlando has forced the Celtics to play a different brand of basketball, Boston is one win away from closing out the series. According to BetOnline, the Celtics are favored by 11.5 points.

Given that there has only been one double-digit victory margin during the series, expect the Celtics to win, but by a smaller margin than the predicted point spread.