Celtics vs. Magic Prediction and Odds for December 23: Can Orlando Survive Its Wave Of Injuries

The Boston Celtics (22-6) are headed south to take on the Orlando Magic (18-12) in an Eastern Conference matchup on Monday.

The Celtics are a superb 11-2 on the road and fresh off a 25-point win over the Chicago Bulls, during which Jayson Tatum dropped 43 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists with nine made threes. This will be their first time battling the Magic.

Meanwhile, the hosts are going to struggle just to field a roster. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner and Gary Harris are all out injured, and Jalen Suggs is day-to-day with an ankle injury. Injuries played a major part in them losing three of their last four games following an exceptional start to the year.

Here, we will analyze the odds and share our favorite Celtics vs. Magic betting picks.

Celtics vs. Magic Betting Odds for Monday, December 23

The Celtics are 11-17 (39.3 percent) against the spread as a favorite, 6-7 (46.2 percent) ATS on the road, and 11-16 (40.7 percent) ATS as a favorite.

The Magic are 17-12-1 (58.6 percent) ATS, 10-2-1- (83.3 percent) ATS at home, and 3-7-1 (30 percent) ATS as an underdog.

Odds for the Celtics vs. Magic game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and claim up to $1,500 in bonus bets* with our promo code WSNSPORTS.

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Celtics vs. Magic Prediction

Boston Celtics Preview

The Celtics are already +200 favorites to win the NBA Finals, which are still half of a year away. That’s a testament to their consistency and ability, both of which have been on full display since the start of last season.

Boston is third in offensive and eighth in defensive rating, resulting in the third-best net rating (+9.5) in the sport. They’re average on the boards but turn the ball over at the lowest frequency in the league, which shows their comfortability in the system  implemented by coach Joe Mazzulla.

The key to Boston’s success is primarily centered beyond the three-point line. Despite shooting an average 36.7 percent from downtown, they make more threes per game (18.7) than any team in the league including 2.2 per game more than the second-place Chicago Bulls. 

Meanwhile, they hold opponents to 12.7 made threes per game, the fifth-fewest in the league, on 35 percent shooting (ninth).

Boston has also been outstanding on the road. They posted the best road net rating in the league and outscored their opponents by an average of 12.3 points per 100 possessions, far outdoing even their performances at home. 

Tatum enters the game on the back of his historic night against the Bulls. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis averaged 19.4 points and 7.1 rebounds since he returned to the lineup, and Jaylen Brown has been in a bit of a slump and averaged 15.8 points over his last four games.

Orlando Magic Preview

Don’t fool yourself, the Magic’s injuries are crippling, and they came at the worst time possible.

Orlando’s recent stretch of games included matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Miami Heat. They lost the first three by five, nine, and six points, and beat the Heat by seven on Saturday.

It’s remarkable that Orlando remained as competitive against such high-level competition as it did despite its injuries. That should inspire belief in their ability to cover the spread against Boston, though it could also be a situation where they will start to run out of gas.

The Magic are a defensive-minded team that ranks third in defensive and 23rd in offensive rating, leading to a +3.8 net rating (eighth). They’ve also been great on the boards (sixth in rebound rate) and rank second in points off of turnovers per game.

Without Banchero, the Wagners, and potentially Suggs, the primary scoring responsibilities are going to rotate between Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Goga Bitadze. Of those three, Anthony had the biggest impact recently as he came up with 35 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in an unbelievable 22-point fourth-quarter comeback against Miami.

Still, those three pale in comparison to what the Celtics have to offer. The Magic’s best chance will be relying on their defense, which holds opponents to the lowest three-point percentage and second-fewest points per game, but it will still be a struggle for them to score at all.

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Celtics vs. Magic Betting Pick

• Celtics vs. Magic pick: Celtics -9.5 (-115) at BetMGM

There are just too many injuries here to justify going with the Magic, no matter how successful they have been at home and overall against the spread.

The Celtics are rolling and have been the best road team in the league. Meanwhile, the Magic’s primary scorer on Monday night could be a player, Anthony, who averaged 6.2 points per game for the season as a whole.

Take the Celtics to win by double-digits in their first meeting with the Magic to start the week.

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How to Watch Celtics vs. Magic on 12/23/24

• When: Monday, December 23 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

• TV: NBA League Pass

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