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The Orlando Magic look to improve on their NBA playoff seeding when they visit TD Garden and the Boston Celtics.
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Boston plays in a system no matter who’s on the floor, and my Magic vs. Celtics predictions expect a low-scoring affair.
Read on for my NBA picks for Sunday, April 12.
Magic vs Celtics predictionMagic vs Celtics best bet: Under 217.5 (-110)
Tonight’s game isn’t about whether the Orlando Magic will win, because they likely will.
This game is about whether two teams can combine for 218 points when one of them is sending out a collection of nice guys who probably have bright futures as role players but aren’t scoring 100 points against anyone on Sunday night.
Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Neemias Queta, Nikola Vucevic, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard are all out or doubtful.
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That’s the entire top seven rotation gone.
The Boston Celtics taking the floor for Boston are Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, and Ron Harper Jr. Good people.
Solid professionals. Hard workers who have earned their spot in this league, they just aren’t a 100-point offense.
Here are the two numbers that matter.
Boston ranks 28th-slowest in the league over the last 10 games, averaging 95.05 possessions per game. That’s a system, not a coincidence.
Even shorthanded, Joe Mazzulla’s offensive schemes slow the game down regardless of who’s in uniform.
Orlando’s defensive rating over that same stretch is 115.3. That sounds like points until you realize the teams they’ve been running up and down the floor were actually capable of exploiting it.
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Garza and Scheierman can score, but the Celtics’ reserves are not that team. They don’t have enough overall firepower to punish a leaky defense, but they will scrap like crazy defensively.
Take the Under and don’t look back.
Magic vs Celtics same-game parlay
Paolo Banchero has hit more than one three-point shot exactly zero times in his last nine games.
Boston will likely turn tonight’s clash into a half-court battle, and they’ll hold Orlando’s leading scorer Under his made threes prop.
The same applies to Luke Garza. Garza’s had some success beyond the arc, but he’s only made two or more twice in his previous 11 games.
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Magic vs Celtics SGP
Banchero Under 1.5 threes
Our “from downtown” SGP: A full-blown Magic trick
Boston runs a system and is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games. The system doesn’t disappear when the starters sit, and I don’t see Orlando blowing them out.
Boston should force Jalen Suggs to play real minutes tonight, and he’s dropped 9, 8, and 12 dimes in his last three competitive games.
Garza is the focal point tonight, and with twice as many minutes to double his scoring average.
Desmond Bane is coming off a rough night, but he’s drained at least three triples in three of his last five.
Magic vs Celtics SGP
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Magic vs Celtics odds
Spread: Magic -12 | Celtics +12
Moneyline: Magic -575 | Celtics +475
Over/Under: Over 217.5 | Under 217.5
Magic vs Celtics betting trend to know
The Boston Celtics have hit the Game Total Under in 34 of their last 50 games (+16.40 Units / 30% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Magic vs. Celtics.
How to watch Magic vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Tip-off
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Magic vs Celtics latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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