Magic vs. Celtics Prediction and Odds for January 17: Both Teams Stuck in Low Gear to Start 2025

The Orlando Magic (23-19) are trying to shake their losing streak as they prepare to take on the defending champion Boston Celtics (28-12) on Friday night.

The Magic consistently make teams dig deep into their reserves to earn their victories because of their stellar defense and intense effort. However, they lost 10 of their last 16 games and are only one game ahead of the seventh-place Atlanta Hawks, meaning they could be in position for the Play-In Tournament before the end of the weekend.

The Celtics have still found ways to win games but this is the worst they’ve looked in the last couple of seasons. They lost to the Toronto Raptors 110-97 their last time out and are 7-7 over their last 14 games.

Here, we will break down the odds and share our best Magic vs. Celtics betting picks for Friday.

Magic vs. Celtics Betting Odds for Friday, January 17

The Magic are 22-19-1 (53.7 percent) against the spread, 9-12 (42.9 percent) ATS on the road, and 6-11-1 (35.3 percent) ATS as an underdog.

The Celtics are 15-24-1 (38.5 percent) ATS, the third-worst mark in the league, 15-22-1 (40.5 percent) ATS as a favorite, and 7-14 (33.3 percent) ATS at home.

Odds for the Magic vs. Celtics game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to Get Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets*.

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Magic vs. Celtics Prediction

Orlando Magic Preview

It’s hard to be consistent when your best player isn’t on the court…or your second-best player… or your third-best…

This has been a season in which patience is required for the Magic. Paolo Banchero was lost to a torn oblique five games into the season, Franz Wagner suffered the same injury shortly thereafter, and Jalen Suggs missed time with a back injury in recent weeks. 

Mo Wagner and Gary Harris also suffered injuries of their own, with Wagner’s being serious enough to put him out for the year.

In many ways, it’s remarkable that Magic are still above .500 and won some of the games that they did. They did that largely on the back of their defense, which is second in overall efficiency, while their offensive and rebounding numbers plummeted.

The Magic have the third-worst offensive rating for the year and rank dead last in January. To put it in a better perspective, they scored as many points per 100 possessions as the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder allowed per 100 possessions.

Unsurprisingly, the Magic struggled to shoot the ball from range, checking in at 26th at 34.8 percent. 

On the bright side, Paolo Banchero has not missed a beat since he returned to the lineup on Jan. 10. In just 26.7 average minutes over three games, the 22-year-ol averaged 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 47.1 percent three-point shooting. 

The Magic are 9-12 with a net rating of -2.6 on the road. They beat the Celtics by four points without Banchero, either Wagner, or Harris on Dec. 23 as a 7.5-point underdog at home, but they should find it harder to replicate that success on the road.

Boston Celtics Preview

Remember Boston’s 14-game stretch of .500 basketball? Well, they still ranked seventh in defensive and eighth in offensive rating, resulting in a net rating of +6.4 during that time. 

Among their wins during that stretch were a 25-point win over the Chicago Bulls, a 54-point win over the Raptors, a 37-point win over the Indiana Pacers, and a 23-point win over the Houston Rockets. Clearly, there’s no need to worry about who the Celtics are at their best—the problem is they have consistently been at their best on a nightly basis. 

Everyone knows what the Celtics want to do. They want to go bombs away from three and continue to barrel towards an all-time record in three-pointers made in a season, while using their defensive versatility to contain opposing teams’ drives and close out to the three-point line. 

They also use their large lineup and array of skill sets to hunt and exploit mismatches, especially with Kristaps Porzingis back in the fold. 

Boston turned the ball over at a lower frequency than any team in the league and was 13th in rebound rate even during its latest stretch of uninspiring play.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the other important players also played well recently, again, in spite of the uninspiring record. Boston also has the mark of a championship contender and ranks second in bench net rating (+4.5), meaning there isn’t a large drop-off in production when their starters go to the bench.

So while this stretch of play may have been frustrating for fans, it’s far, far, far too early to have any serious concerns.

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Magic vs. Celtics Betting Pick

Magic vs. Celtics pick: Celtics -12.5 (-110) at BetMGM

The Magic are a resilient bunch that play their tails off and will jump on teams that aren’t prepared.

Simply put, we believe the Celtics will be prepared. Professionals don’t like being embarrassed, and that’s exactly what happened to them a couple of days ago against Toronto. The Celtics are also leaps and bounds ahead of this current version of the Magic, who have the worst offense in the league and went from being outstanding to subpar on the glass.

We like the Celtics to bounce back on their home court on Friday night as our best Magic vs. Celtics betting pick.

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How to Watch Magic vs. Celtics on 1/17/25

• When: Friday, January 17 @ 7:00 p.m. ET

• Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA

• TV: ESPN

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