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  • The Celtics are 28-12 and have the best record in the Atlantic Division.
  • Orlando is 23-19 and has the best record in the Southeast Division.
  • These teams last played on Dec. 23, with the Magic claiming a 108-104 victory.

One of the games on tap from Friday night’s NBA slate features the Boston Celtics taking on the Orlando Magic. Which team gets back into the win column in our Celtics vs Magic prediction?

Celtics Hope To Bounce Back From Loss Against Lowly Raptors

The defending champs limp into this matchup following a surprising 110-97 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night. Four starters reached double figures in that contest. Kristaps Porzingis led this group with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 7-for-11 shooting from the field.

Boston’s one-two punch — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — struggled in this one. They combined for 26 points on an inefficient 9-of-31 shooting from the floor. Payton Pritchard led the second unit with 20 points and four assists, knocking down four of his eight attempts from beyond the arc.

Boston trailed by six points heading into the final frame. However, Jamal Shead’s 3-pointer capped off a 12-4 run at the start of the fourth quarter, giving the Raptors a 100-86 advantage with 7:36 left to play in regulation.

The loss snapped Boston’s 10-game winning streak against Toronto, dating back to March 28, 2022.

Magic Look To Bounce Back From Blowout Loss To Bucks

On the other side, the Magic got trounced by the Milwaukee Bucks to the tune of 122-93 in their last outing. Paolo Banchero paced the team’s offense with 22 points and five rebounds.

Unfortunately, he shot just 40 percent from the field and 2-for-7 from 3-point range. He also finished with a game-high seven turnovers.

Trevelin Queen scored 13 points off the bench, while Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony rounded out the scoring for the starting unit with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

When these teams played five nights ago, Milwaukee won by a narrow 109-106 margin. But thanks to a poor shooting performance, the Magic trailed by 18 points (34-16) and never recovered in a game where they shot 34.7 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from 3-point range.

Celtics vs Magic Prediction: Boston Gets The “W” Here

The Celtics have gone 7-7 in their last 14 contests following a 21-7 start. Furthermore, they have dropped three of their last five games. Meanwhile, the Magic have dropped 10 of their previous 16 contests after producing 17 wins in their first 26 games.

Both teams excel from a defensive standpoint, as they are top-10 squads at that end of the floor. However, Boston boasts the fourth-highest scoring offense (117.5 PPG) and has the third-highest offensive rating in the association (119.7 Points Per 100 Possessions).

With that in mind, look for the Cs to get back on track in this Eastern Conference matchup.

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