Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Prediction: Magic to win

Two regular-season games played, Orlando and Boston are at opposite ends of the standings. Not surprisingly, bookmakers believe in the success of the Celtics, but in the game with the Magic they are sure to have a hard time. Let's find out why.

After last season, it seemed like the Magic's young core would finally take off, but a string of injuries plagued the team before the start of the regular season. Markelle Fultz is out due to a thumb injury, Jonathan Isaac remains in the sickbay indefinitely, Gary Harris and Moritz Wagner will not play either. Cole Anthony had just returned to the lineup as Jalen Suggs suffered another injury. Suggs' participation in the game with Boston is still very questionable. On the other hand, Paolo Banchero, the first pick of the recent draft, made an excellent NBA debut. The Italian forward averaged 23.5 points in 2 games, scoring from both midrange and beyond the arc. Wendell Carter has become a full-time center, while Mo Bamba and Bol Bol get few minutes per game.

In their two regular-season starts, Jamahl Mosley's team has lost consecutively. After a 4-point loss to Detroit, Orlando lost to Atlanta, 98-108. Only 6 of 18 of Banchero's shots were accurate. Wendell Carter and Franz Wagner also shot less than 50% of their field-goal attempts and had little to show for it. On the positive side, we should note the good defense under the basket and Cole Anthony's play was encouraging. He scored 25 points on 8-12 from the floor.

Before the start of the season the absence of Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari did not seem that big a deal, but now the coach is forced to fill the holes in the frontcourt with players who would have no place in the NBA just recently. Noah Vonleh and Blake Griffin combine for 24 minutes on the floor, and it's even a little odd that Grant Williams' role has diminished after last year's playoff success. Malcolm Brogdon, after being traded to Boston, went the way of Derrick White. Both averaged just over 20 minutes per game, though they got more time at their former clubs. The play of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum was pleasing, and if they both continue in the same vein, they could be considered full-fledged superstars in the league.

Joe Mazzulla's team started the regular season with two wins, taking turns beating Philadelphia (126-117) and Miami (111-104). Tatum and Brown were again the biggest stars of the evening, scoring a combined 57 points, while the playmakers shot well from beyond the arc. Defense under the basket was also good: the Celtics had 11 blocked shots, 3 of which were unexpectedly blocked by Derrick White. Boston wasn't hindered by the fact that they lost the ball twice as often as their opponent and made up for 40% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Boston is in great shape to start the season, but for them, the meeting with Orlando will be their second consecutive away game. Even with the emergence of Brogdon, the Celtics have trouble shooting the ball, as the Celts sometimes have to shoot from very awkward positions. If Brown or Tatum's play falters, the challenge will become more difficult and the coach may want to hold on to some of the veterans. The Magic will be playing at home for the first time this season and there should be plenty of motivation for their players. Wagner and Banchero are capable of improving as compared to the last game, and Orlando should have no problems with their offense as a minimum. Here are the betting options:

• H1 (+8.5) for 2.04;
• W1 (incl. OT) for 4.10;
• TU (218.5) for 1.78.

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