Celtics vs Magic Prediction, Picks Today | Best Bet for Friday

Here's everything you need to know about Celtics vs Magic with our expert Celtics vs Magic prediction and picks today and best bet for Friday.

The Celtics will travel to Orlando to take on a hot Magic team that is tied for the second best record in the Eastern Conference on Black Friday. Can the Celtics humble this young Magic team or will the Magic youth to continue to impress?

Let's get to our Celtics vs Magic prediction and picks.

The Magic have been one of the biggest surprises of the season as they have gone 10-5 and rank sixth in the NBA in Net Rating (+4.9) through 15 games. They haven’t played the most difficult schedule, according to dunksandthrees.com (23rd over in SOS) , but I’ve still been impressed with the Magic as they have overcome injuries to two starters in Wendell Carter Jr. and point guard Markelle Fultz.

The Celtics have impressed in their own right as they have been far and away the best team in the NBA thus far. The Cs rank first in Net Rating (+11.3) and sit atop the East at 12-3.

Focusing on this matchup, we should see the Celtics have success defensively as they rank seventh at limiting opponent rim rate while the Magic rank first in offensive rim rate. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford are solid rim-protectors while Jrue Holiday and Derrick White have done an excellent job of keeping the ball in front of them at the point of attack.

If the Celtics can defend the rim, they should have a massive math advantage with their offense that ranks No. 1 in 3-point attempt rate while the Magic rank just 27th.

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A lack of outside shooting is one of the only things preventing the Magic from being a truly elite team and the Celtics play guys at every position who can shoot. If their shots are falling, it’s easy to envision a scenario where the Celtics win with margin.

Another edge for the Celtics is their transition defense. They rank fourth in transition defensive rating and are sixth in limiting opponent transition opportunities, according to Cleaning the Glass. This will be huge as the Magic rank 11th in transition offensive rating but just 25th in half-court offensive rating.

The Celtics have a half-court offensive rating of 102.0 while the Magic’s offensive rating is just 91.0 so turning this into a half-court game will be crucial for the Celtics. If this game is played in the half court consistently I expect the Celtics talent and math edge to win with Margin.

This Magic team has been extremely fun to watch but they still have played the 8th easiest schedule in the NBA and have significant issues with their half-court offense. I think the Celtics humble them here and cover this spread as they really have no exploitable holes for the Magic to attack.

As long as the Celtics slow the pace down here they should have a significant edge in the halfcourt and they should be able to win with margin. I bet the Celtics at -5.5, but Caesars has the best line as of this writing at -6.