Magic vs Celtics Pick and Preview
Sunday, March 8 - 1 p.m. Eastern - Orlando Magic (43-16) at Boston Celtics (47-14)
With the NBA season winding down, contests between teams jockeying for playoff seeding take on added importance, highlighted by Sunday's Orlando Magic-Boston Celtics contest. The game will only be televised locally, with no national broadcast.
Entering this week, Boston is in second place in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Cleveland in the loss column. Orlando holds the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Boston in the loss column. The top three seeds in the Eastern Conference almost certainly will originate from Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando, as fourth-place Atlanta is 10 games behind Orlando.
Season Results: Orlando lost to Boston in Orlando Jan. 22, 90-80, as a 4.5-point favorite. Orlando also lost the first Magic-Celtics meeting this season, 107-88, on Dec. 1 in Boston, where the Celtics were an 8.5-point favorite.
The Magic-Celtics game will feature one of the NBA's best road teams in Orlando against one of the league's best home teams in Boston. Entering this week, the Magic is 21-9 away from home this season, which is the third-best mark in the NBA. Boston is 25-5 at home, giving the Celtics the third-best home record in the league.
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The Magic and Celtics will showcase Orlando's strong offense (102.2 points per game, which is third in the Eastern Conference) versus Boston's stingy defense (92.3 points per game allowed, second in the East).
Boston was glad to see February in its rear-view mirror, as the Celtics have played mediocre basketball of late. Entering this week, Boston has lost two of its last three games, and the Celtics are only 6-5 in their last 11 games. Boston plays at New Jersey Wednesday and hosts Cleveland in a key game Friday on ESPN before the Orlando-Boston game.
The Magic didn't have a great February, either, only posting a 6-5 record in their past 11 games. Orlando has home games against Phoenix Tuesday and New Jersey Friday before making the trip to Boston.
Orlando and Boston will play for the final time this season in Orlando on March 25.
Point Spread Records: Entering this week, Boston has lost three straight games ATS, although it is 5-5 over its last 10 ATS games. The Celtics have lost five ATS games in a row at home.
Orlando is also 5-5 ATS over its last 10 games, but the Magic have been a little better lately, winning four of their last six ATS entering this week. Orlando is 3-1 ATS in its last four road games.
In recent Magic-Celtics meetings in Boston, the Celtics have put together a three-game winning streak, both outright and ATS.
Dec. 1, 2008: Boston (-8.5) 107, Orlando 88
Dec. 23, 2007: Boston (-9.5) 103, Orlando 91
March 28, 2007: Boston 105, Orlando (-2.5) 96 (OT)
Nov. 13, 2006: Orlando (-1) 92, Boston 89
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