Celtics vs. Magic Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for April 25

On Friday, April 25, the Boston Celtics (61-21) and Orlando Magic (41-41) are all set to square off from Kia Center in Orlando for Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Jayson Tatum missed Game 2 (questionable for Game 3), but that was no issue for the Celtics who came away with the 109-100 win. Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 36 points and double-doubled with 10 rebounds, while Paolo Banchero (32) and Franz Wagner (25) combined for 57 of Orlando's 100 points. The series goes back to Orlando as the Magic look to climb out of a 0-2 hole.

The Celtics are currently 33-8 on the road with a point differential of 9, while the Magic have a 4-6 record in their last ten games at home. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

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Game details & how to watch Celtics vs. Magic live

• Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
• Time: 3:00 PM EST
• Site: Kia Center
• City: Orlando, FL
• Network/Streaming: ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.

Game odds for Celtics vs. Magic

The latest odds as of Friday:

• Odds: Celtics (-219), Magic (+182)
• Spread:  Celtics -5.5
• Over/Under: 198 points

That gives the Celtics an implied team point total of 102.89, and the Magic 96.02.

Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!

Expert picks & predictions for Friday’s Celtics vs. Magic game

Rotoworld Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Paolo Banchero to go Over 26.5 Points:

"I think the Banchero train is worth riding one more game. Banchero has the free reign to shoot whenever and after 52 field goal attempts, 13 three-pointers, and 17 free-throw attempts through two games. He's scored 32 and 36 points over both matchups in Boston and been active on the boards with 11 and 9 rebounds. He's the only Orlando player shooting with confidence from three and he's arguably the best on the floor at creating contact, so give me Banchero Over 26.5 Points up to 27.5."

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Celtics & Magic game:

• Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Celtics on the Moneyline.
• Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Orlando Magic at +5.5.
• Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 198.

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Celtics vs. Magic on Friday

• The Magic have won 3 straight home games
• Each of the Celtics' last 4 road games with the Magic have stayed under the Total
• The Magic are 23-19 ATS at home this season
• The Magic have covered the Spread in their last 5 home matchups with the Celtics

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)