Magic vs. Celtics Odds & Betting Predictions - April 20, 2025

Wendell Carter Jr. is averaging 8.6 rebounds in 16 games where he’s logged 27+ minutes alongside Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. He’s coming off an open-paper misleading 7-rebound game vs. Atlanta, 5 of which were on the offensive glass, mainly due to Okongwu defending Paolo on drives and being away from the rim for putbacks. But beyong that, this upcoming series vs. Boston presents a much more challenging rebounding environment. You can look at their 1/17 matchup for a bear case, where Carter recorded 9 boards, but 1 came off a missed free throw and another off a long rebound while defending Tatum on the perimeter. Boston’s over is taller, and have more efficient finishers at the rim, combined with the threat of blowouts, naturally reduce rebounding volume. Defensively, Carter is at risk in two key ways: 1) he’ll likely be pulled into pick-and-pop coverage against Porzingis or Horford, and 2) he’s a switch target, which Mazzulla may exploit and hunt. Zone defense isn’t a viable option either, since Porzingis punishes that coverage. If Orlando wants to compete, they’ll likely lean on man-to-man and switch-heavy schemes. That makes backup center Jonathan Isaac a better fit due to his lateral mobility and ability to defend without dropping. If Isaac cuts into Carter’s minutes, that further limits his rebounding upside. #PlayerProps

Tatums fake aurora

The Celtics kick off their title defense against the Orlando Magic in what they hope to be a short series. Jayson Tatum has continually stepped up his game in the Playoffs. He secures more rebounds and his minutes rise into the 40s. This opportunity gives him a chance to excel. He’s found success against the Magic recently but only played them once this season. In that game he scored 30 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. While his rebounds have been a relative weak spot against Orlando, I’m backing a bit of his playoff pedigree here where he’s averaged 9.7 and 10.5 rebounds per game over the last two seasons. Orlando does not have anyone skilled enough defensively to handle Tatum. And in that January contest there were multiple possessions where Tatum absolutely cooked Paolo in single coverage. I’ll bet on a big game from Tatum to kick off the Playoffs, especially with Jaylen Brown a bit banged up.

9.9% ev

8.1% ev

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