Celtics vs Magic Prediction, picks and odds for tonight’s NBA game

The Boston Celtics visit the Orlando Magic tonight in their respective final games before Christmas Day.

The Magic snapped a three-game skid with a win over the Heat when they were last seen, while the Celtics blew out the Bulls to split the back-to-back series against Chicago.

My Celtics vs. Magic predictions expect Jayson Tatum to remain red-hot as he looks to lead his team to another victory. Read my Monday, December 23rd NBA picks to see why you should take Over on Tatum’s combine prop tonight.

Celtics vs Magic prediction

My best bet
Jayson Tatum Over 39.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115 at bet365)

My analysis

Jayson Tatum has been absolutely electric lately, going for 29.9 points, 11.6 boards and 5.4 dimes in his last eight outings. In that span, Tatum has hit Over at this prop six times and posted exactly 39 PRAs once.

On the season, Tatum has hit Over at this line in 17 of 26 games, good for 65.4% of his games. The implied probability of -115 odds for this prop is 53.49%, which means we’re getting this for a bargain. In addition to the 17 games hitting Over, Tatum hit 38 PRAs twice and 39 PRAs twice more, meaning he has gone for at least 38 PRAs in 21 of 26 games.

Tatum has averaged 40.8 PRAs at home but a whopping 46.8 on the road, giving him an edge in this one while playing at the Kia Center. The Orlando Magic’s defense has been elite this season, but the team is down both Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Mo Wagner suffered a torn ACL last week and Jalen Suggs is questionable for Monday’s matchup, exposing the shorthanded Magic to Tatum’s stellar play.

Tatum posted a 43/15/10 line in his final game, becoming the only player in Boston Celtics history to reach those milestones in a single outing. On the season, he’s averaging a healthy 43.8 PRAs, so he can have a below-average outing and still hit Over. I expect Tatum to continue his run against a depleted Magic team and go for at least 40 PRAs.

Celtics vs Magic parlay in same game

Jayson Tatum Over 39.5 points + rebounds + assists

Magic +9.5

Goga Bitadze double-double

The hits keep coming for Orlando as the team found out last week that backup big man and microwave bench scorer Mo Wagner will be out for the season with a torn ACL. The Magic will be without three of their top scorers on Monday, and with Jalen Suggs questionable, this one could get ugly. It could… but I don’t count on it.

Despite playing at far less than 100%, the Magic lost 105-99 to the Thunder and 100-91 to the Knicks before defeating the Heat to get back in the win column. The Magic won 11 straight home games before suffering these two losses, and keeping the score this close against a pair of elite teams shows just how well this group plays at the Kia Center.

The Magic are 10-2-1 ATS at home, while the Celtics are 6-7 ATS as a road team. Boston may have the best outright record on the road at 11-2 and the second-best record in the East at 22-6, but the C’s haven’t been kind to spreading players around thanks to a dismal 11-17 record ATS. I’ll take Magic to cover this huge spread at home, even while missing several key players.

I won’t stop betting on Goga Bitadze unless the odds on his combo props start getting shorter. So far this is a no-brainer bet and I’ll add it to this game without hesitation.

Bitadze’s double-double odds are a tantalizing +140 despite hitting it in two straight and four of the last five. In that span, the big man has averaged 14.8 points and 12.8 boards. Bitadze has posted a double-double in 10 games overall this season, and six of those have come in his last 10 outings. Bitadze has averaged 8.4 points and 7.5 rebounds on the road, but 10.7 points and 8.5 boards at home, making this effort even more enticing.

Without Mo Wagner or Paolo Banchero, Bitadze should see big frontcourt minutes alongside Wendell Carter Jr. The Celtics have given up the eighth most rebounds and the sixth most points to opponents this season. Go, Go, Goga!

Learn how to bet on the same game with these helpful tips and strategies.

Celtics vs Magic odds

Celtics vs Magic live odds

Celtics vs Magic opening odds

• Spread: Boston -10 (-110) | Orlando +10 (-110)
• Moneyline: Boston -450 | Orlando +350
• Over/Under: Over 215 (-110) | Under 215 (-110)

Odds provided by bet365

Celtics vs Magic spread and Over/Under analysis

• Boston has won seven but covered just three of the last 10, and the team is 22-6 straight up and 11-17 ATS.
• Orlando has lost four of six and covered in three, bringing the Magic’s record to 18-12 straight up and 17-12-1 ATS.
• The Celtics are 3-7 under over their last 10 and 12-15-1 under on the season.
• The Magic have hit the Over in five of 10, Orlando is 14-16 to Under through 30 games.

Celtics vs Magic trend

Orlando has the second best home record at 11-2 and Boston has the best road record at an identical 11-2. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Magic.

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