With the NBA playoffs advancing to Game 3 across the board, the Boston Celtics (63-21, 2-0) and Orlando Magic (41-43, 0-2) take their series to Florida. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Magic prediction and pick. The Celtics took the first two games in Boston to jump out to an early 2-0 series lead. As one of the favorites to claim the 2025 NBA Finals, the defending champions have taken control of the first-round series the way many predicted. With a 33-8 record on the road during the regular season, Joe Mazzulla’s squad has been comfortable on the road all season long and can only feel relaxed entering enemy territory with a cushion. With their backs nearly against the wall, the Magic’s odds of winning their first postseason series since 2010 are quickly evaporating. However, despite losing Game 1 in blowout fashion, Orlando received better performances from its supporting cast to make Game 2 a nine-point affair. Despite losing most of their recent playoff series, the Magic have not been swept since 2007. Here are the Celtics-Magic NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. NBA Playoffs Odds: Celtics-Magic Game 3 Odds Boston Celtics: -5.5 (-110) Moneyline: -220 Orlando Magic: +5.5 (-110) Moneyline: +184 Over: 198.5 (-110) Under: 198.5 (-110) How To Watch Celtics vs. Magic NBA Playoffs 2025 Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT *Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)* Why the Celtics Will Cover the Spread/Win Going back to 2022, the Celtics are now 14-3 in the first round of the playoffs with three series victories. When looking at just the 2024-2025 season, Boston’s 31-8 record on the road was the best in the league. Any way it is framed, the historical numbers suggest that the defending champions have every edge in Game 3. While the Celtics “only” beat the Magic by nine points in Game 2, they did so without Jayson Tatum, who missed the game with a bone bruise. It was the first missed playoff game of his career, but the injury seemed to be more of a pain management situation than a serious issue. Perhaps Mazzulla gives his star additional rest with a two-game lead, but there seems to be a good chance he suits up in Game 3. Anybody with that belief needs to jump on this 5.5-point line before he is potentially removed from the official injury report. Even without Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis put on a clinic, combining for 56 points and 20 rebounds. If nothing else, the victory clearly showcased that the Celtics are one of the deepest offensive teams in the league, as they were still the more talented team sans Tatum. Without Jalen Suggs, the Magic do not have nearly enough perimeter defenders to keep up. Brown’s physicality and frame allow him to win any one-on-one matchup Orlando can throw at him. Why the Magic Will Cover the Spread/Win Coming off a win to extend the series to 2-0, Mazzulla really has no reason not to give Tatum another game of rest. The playoffs do not allow teams to take any games off, but if the Celtics want to make another deep run, a bone bruise is enough of a nagging injury to demand as much rest as possible. In Game 2, the contributions Orlando received from Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Anthony Black were more important than Tatum’s injury. After Paolo Banchero carried the team alone in Game 1, the supporting cast finally showed up to at least make the second game a competitive affair. The Magic now return home, where nearly every active player performs better offensively. The oft-repeated stereotype that role players play better at home is especially true for Jamahl Mosley’s team. Though the Celtics are 8-2 in the regular season without Tatum, both of those losses came against the Magic. One of those late-season games came against Boston’s skeleton crew, but the previous meeting on Dec. 23, 2024, came with Orlando missing its two stars. In that game, Brown still dominated with 35 points, but the team as a whole shot just 44 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from deep. Final Celtics-Magic Prediction & Pick Limiting the three-ball is always the key to beating the Celtics, but it is especially prevalent with Tatum off the court. Their offensive numbers are functionally the same with Tatum on and off the court, but most of their supporting players make their money from deep. The Magic, who ranked first in the regular season, allowing just 11.4 three-pointers per game — gave up four fewer three-pointers in Game 2 than they did in Game 1. A 5.5-point spread seems too low for the defending champions, especially with Tatum questionable and coming off a nine-point win in Game 2. But despite coming off a 36-point performance, Brown struggled on the road for most of the regular season, averaging just 19.4 points on 43.6 percent from the field and 26.8 percent beyond the arc. Home-away stats are not typically impactful, but the Magic have too big of an opportunity to come out flat again in a clear must-win situation. If they can just get one of their role players — whether it be Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac or Cory Joseph — to show out the way they did in the regular season, their elite defense has already proven capable of stuffing the Celtics’ offense. If Orlando has any chance in this series, Game 3 is entirely within reach. Final Celtics-Magic Prediction & Pick: Magic +5.5 (-110), Over 198.5 (-110)