Celtics vs. Magic NBA Playoffs: Betting Odds, Series Prediction, and Best Bets

The Orlando Magic earned the 7 seed in the Eastern Conference after a 25-point win in the Play-In game.

Their reward? A First Round playoff series with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Though Boston failed to capture the top seed in the East, the Celtics still won 61 games and enter postseason play as a -140 favorite in the Eastern Conference winner odds. With the second-best net rating (+9.4) in the Association, Boston is one of just three teams to meet the primary historical benchmarks of teams to win the NBA Finals.

Even so, Orlando proved to be a nuisance for the C's during the regular season. The Magic won two of three head-to-head matchups between the two sides and notably pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to 7 games in the First Round last season.

Can the Magic put up a fight against the defending champs, or will the Celtics' loaded roster prove overwhelming for a hobbled Orlando side?

Let's dive into the NBA Playoffs odds and break down the Magic-Celtics best bets.

All NBA betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Celtics vs. Magic Series Betting Odds

Boston is an overwhelming favorite in this series. The series spread is Celtics -3.5 games, and the series over/under is set at 4.5 games.

Best Bets for Celtics vs. Magic NBA Playoff Series

Celtics 4-1 Series Correct Score (+168)

It's hard to imagine Boston not winning this series -- they're the Eastern Conference favorites and have failed to advance past the opening round just once since 2017. The Celtics defended last year's title to the tune of a 61-21 record and +9.1 average point differential in the regular season, whereas Orlando went .500 with a negative point differential.

But that's baked into the odds. You aren't going to find value just taking Boston to win the series, and the series spread is set at Celtics -3.5 games, albeit with +128 odds toward the favorite.

Still, I do see Orlando's second-rated defense at least making things hard on the defending champs. They took two of three from Boston in the regular season, though neither side was at full strength in any of their head-to-heads.

Even so, the Magic's staunch defense helped them hang with top competition all season. Orlando went 9-15 against the nine teams which won 50+ games during the regular season, holding such opponents to 107.3 points per game. In total, the Magic led the NBA in scoring defense and were top-10 in eFG% allowed. They let up a league-low 31.4 three-point attempts per game -- something that should come in handy against a Celtics side that scored a higher percentage of their total points (45.8%) from beyond the arc than any other team.

It doesn't hurt that Orlando has some playoff experience under their belt. They took the Cavs to 7 games last year, winning all three home games by an average of 22.7 points.

Last year's Cavs team wasn't in the same stratosphere as this Celtics squad, but we have seen Boston let lower seeds hang around in the early rounds. Though they've advanced past the first round in seven of the last eight postseasons, only three of those first-round victories came via a sweep. That includes last season when Boston dropped Game 2 to the Miami Heat. Three of last year's four series Ws saw the Celtics win 4-1.

With Jaylen Brown still nursing a knee injury, Orlando has a good shot to steal a game this series. Boston should still roll, but I do see value in them winning the series 4-1 at plus odds.

Jayson Tatum Series Rebounds Leader (+145)

Jayson Tatum closed out the regular season averaging 8.7 rebounds per game -- his fourth straight year averaging north of 8 rebounds per game. Not only was that the highest rebound average on the Celtics, it was 1.3 higher than Orlando's top rebounder.

Naturally, Tatum's the favorite to lead the series in rebounding. But at +145 odds, I'm still comfortable buying in here.

Let's start with how Tatum lines up with his Boston teammates.

Tatum, Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis shared the floor for just 29 games during the regular season. Tatum led the Celtics in rebounding in 16 (55.2%) of those -- up from the 40.8% implied probability we get from his +145 odds to lead the series in 'boards.

Of course, Tatum won't just be competing with his teammates; this market awards based on the series rebound leader from both teams. But the Magic don't have an especially dominant rebounder. Paolo Banchero paced them with 7.5 rebounds per game, followed by Wendell Carter Jr. at 7.2.

Those marks are close enough to Tatum's that we're still getting decent odds on him to lead the series. But if we assume Boston handles the Magic fairly easily, Tatum should have a bigger edge on the glass. He averaged 8.2 rebounds in wins, while Banchero and Carter averaged 6.8 and 7.1, respectively, in losses.

In a series lacking a true glass-cleaner, Jayson Tatum's rebounding dominance is being undervalued. At plus odds I'm happy to buy into him leading the series in rebounds.

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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.