After a tough defeat on the road their last time out, the Celtics look much better today on their home court. They are way out in front with a 96-76 lead over the Magic.
The Celtics came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Orlando Magic @ Boston Celtics
Current Records: Orlando 23-19, Boston 28-12
How To Watch
- When: Friday, January 17, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden — Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ESPN
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $108.00
What to Know
The Celtics will be playing the full four quarters on Friday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will challenge the Orlando Magic at 7:00 p.m. ET at TD Garden. Neither of these teams found much success offensively their last time out, scoring well below their season average.
The Celtics are headed into this one after the oddsmakers set last week’s over/under low at 229.5, but even that wound up being too high. They fell 110-97 to the Raptors on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Magic fell victim to a painful 122-93 loss at the hands of the Bucks on Wednesday. Orlando was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 62-41.
Boston’s defeat dropped their record down to 28-12. As for Orlando, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 23-19 record this season.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday’s game: The Celtics have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 17.8 threes per game. It’s a different story for the Magic, though, as they’ve been averaging only 11.4. Given the Celtics’ sizable advantage in that area, the Magic will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Celtics came up short against the Magic when the teams last played back in December of 2024, falling 108-104. Will the Celtics have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Boston is a big 12.5-point favorite against Orlando, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 11.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are predicting a defensive showdown and set the over/under low at 211.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Boston and Orlando both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Dec 23, 2024 – Orlando 108 vs. Boston 104
- Dec 17, 2023 – Boston 114 vs. Orlando 97
- Dec 15, 2023 – Boston 128 vs. Orlando 111
- Nov 24, 2023 – Orlando 113 vs. Boston 96
- Jan 23, 2023 – Orlando 113 vs. Boston 98
- Dec 18, 2022 – Orlando 95 vs. Boston 92
- Dec 16, 2022 – Orlando 117 vs. Boston 109
- Oct 22, 2022 – Boston 126 vs. Orlando 120
- Feb 06, 2022 – Boston 116 vs. Orlando 83
- Jan 02, 2022 – Boston 116 vs. Orlando 111
