Celtics vs Magic NBA Pick: Will The Defending Champs Go Up 2-0? (Apr 23)

• The Celtics used a balanced attack to take the series opener.
• The Orlando Magic know they need a road victory to win the series
• These teams last played on Apr. 20, with the Celtics claiming a 103-86 victory

One of the games on Wednesday’s NBA slate features the Boston Celtics hosting the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. Will Boston take a 2-0 lead in our Celtics vs Magic pick?

Celtics vs Magic Game 1 Recap

Despite its top two scorers combining for 33 points, Boston rolled to a 17-point victory in the series opener.

Derrick White put on a magnificent shooting display. He led the way with 30 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the field and 7-for-12 from beyond the arc.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 17 and 16 points, respectively. Payton Pritchard led the second unit with 19 points, including four 3-pointers.

On the other side of the matchup, Paolo Banchero torched the Celtics’ defense with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. He also connected on four of his seven attempts from long range.

Franz Wagner added 23 points and five rebounds. Unfortunately, for the Magic, the rest of the starters combined for only 10 points.

Orlando hung tough early, leading 49-48 at the break. However, the Magic unraveled in the third quarter. They committed six turnovers and were outscored 30-18 in that frame and 25-19 in the fourth quarter.

Celtics vs Magic Pick: Who Has The Edge In Game 2 Of This First-Round Matchup?

Orlando finished with the league’s top scoring defense, allowing 105.5 points per contest. Despite holding Boston to 13 points below their regular-season scoring average, they still lost by a double-digit margin. With that said, here’s a look at a few notable trends for both sides heading into Game 2.

• The defending champs are are 15-2 straight up (SU) in their last 17 games.
• Boston is 9-4 ATS in its previous 13 contests when playng as the favorite.
• The Magic are 6-14 in their last 20 matchups against the Celtics.
• Orlando is 1-5 against the spread in its previous six outings against Atlantic Division opponents.

The Magic held their own in the first half of Game 1. And Tatum being doubtful for Game 2 certainly makes things interesting.

However, Boston has multiple players capable of putting the ball in the basket. With that in mind, the Cs will take a 2-0 lead when it’s all said and done.