2 Best NBA Bets and Player Props for Celtics vs. Magic in Game 3 of the Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are here, and even within a single game, betting markets are abundant.

You can bet traditional markets like the spread or the total, but we've also got tons of player-prop markets to sift through.

Which bets stand out today as the Boston Celtics face the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs?

Let's dig into the best bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA betting odds, utilizing FanDuel Research's NBA projections to try to find value.

Celtics at Magic Game 3 Betting Picks

Celtics Over 101.5 Points (-106)

This series keeps bringing low game totals, with Game 3's line at 198.5. After these two teams went over Game 2's 103.5-point total with 109 points, Game 3 has Boston's team total at 101.5 points. Following our successful over pick in Game 2, I'm back on the same bet for tonight.

Game 2 wasn't a great shooting night for the Celtics as they shot 45.0% from the field and 12 of 37 from three (32.4%) while playing without Jayson Tatum. Despite that, Boston still went over its total. Tatum (bone bruise) is doubtful today while Jrue Holiday (hamstring) is questionable. Even with some injuries, the Celtics still have enough to go over 101.5 points.

The pace will always play a big role in totals, and Orlando plays at the league's slowest pace while holding opponents to the fewest field goal attempts per game (81.5). Boston has attempted only 82 and 80 shots over the first two games of this series.

Over five head-to-head meetings this season, the Celtics are shooting only 32.6% from deep against the Magic. However, Boston is still getting a healthy dose of three-point attempts -- 36.8 per game in the split. That's still far above Orlando's average of 31.4 three-point shots allowed per game (the fewest).

Plus, I trust the Celtics shooting 36.9% from deep on the season (ninth-highest). Boston was 16 of 37 from three-point land (43.2%) in Game 1. With opponents also shooting 36.4% against the Magic this season (12th-highest), improved three-point shooting should help lift Boston to the over.

Keep in mind, Boston's offense was second in offensive rating during the regular season while logging 116.0 points per game (eighth-most) paired with the sixth-highest effective field goal percentage (eFG%).

DRatings' game projections have the Celtics reaching 103.3 points while MasseyRatings is forecasting 107.0 points for Boston.

Derrick White Over 16.5 Points (-114)

We mentioned Boston's ability to still get up plenty of three-point shots in this series, and Derrick White has been the driving force with 11.5 three-point attempts per game through two games. This has led to exceptional scoring production at 23.5 PPG -- which is well above his season-long average of 16.4 PPG.

Tonight's 16.5-point prop is set right around his season average. When this kind of three-point volume is present, the over is appealing.

Of course, Tatum's absence leaves a void as Tatum led the team during the regular season with 10.1 three-point shots per contest. Since March, White has averaged 10.2 three-point attempts per contest when Tatum is out (a six-game sample size). He's also reached double-digit shots in five of those six games.

When Tatum is off the court, White's usage rate takes a substantial jump -- from 19.9% to 23.4%. More three-point shots usually leads to more points. We have a good example in March as White logged 10.4 three-point shots per game in that span, leading to an average of 17.3 PPG.

Ultimately, I'm looking to get exposure to Boston's offense tonight. Considering the unit's efficiency all season, their low lines today are attractive.

You can also check out our latest 2025 NBA Playoffs printable bracket, which includes the seeding and matchups for each conference.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.