Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics Prediction, 12/17/2023 Preview and Pick

Game: Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics

Date: Sunday, December 17, 2023

Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA

TV: NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics (19-5) host the Orlando Magic (16-8) at TD Garden on Sunday.

The Magic stepped onto the hardwood against the Celtics and took a loss by a final of 128-111 in their last contest. Orlando finished the game with a 48.3% FG percentage (42 out of 87) and knocked down 14 out of their 35 three-point shots. From the charity stripe, the Magic buried 13 of 18 shots for a rate of 72.2%. With respect to getting rebounds, they compiled 45 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 25 dimes in the matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 10 turnovers and earning 5 steals. When it comes to defense, Orlando allowed the other team to go 52.2% from the field on 48 out of 92 shooting. Boston earned 31 assists and had 14 steals in this contest. On top of that, Boston had 34 rebounds (9 offensive, 25 defensive) and got 2 blocks. Boston finished the contest at 70.0% at the free throw line by making 14 of their 20 attempts. They also knocked down 18 of their 42 attempts from beyond the perimeter. When talking about personal fouls, the Magic walked away with 22 and the Celtics totaled 22 personal fouls.

Jalen Suggs is a player who was a major contributor for this contest. Suggs walked away from this one shooting 58.3% from the field and also totaled 1 assist. He was on the court for 26 mins and snagged 4 boards. He had 19 points on 7 out of 12 shooting.

Get all of our NBA Picks Today

Orlando enters this one with a win-loss mark of 16-8 this year. They are averaging 113.9 pts per game (18th in the league) while shooting 47.9% from the field. The Magic are shooting 34.6% on shots from beyond the arc (245 of 709) and 76.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, Orlando is pulling down 43.6 rebounds per contest and has tallied 608 dimes for the year, which ranks 21st in the league in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession via turnover 15.4 times per game and as a squad they are committing 21.8 personal fouls per game.

Defensively, the Magic are able to force 16.0 turnovers every game while drawing 23.3 fouls. They surrender 35.9% on shots from distance and they rank 5th in the NBA in PPG allowed (109.7). The Magic are allowing a field goal percentage of 46.9% (954 of 2,032) and they relinquish 40.1 rebounds per game as a unit. They currently rank 3rd in the NBA in giving up assists to the opposition with 562 surrendered for the campaign.

The last time they took the court, the Celtics went home victorious with a score of 128-111 against the Magic. When talking about how they rebounded, Boston allowed Orlando to get 45 overall (13 on the offensive glass). They finished 40.0% from three-point range by connecting on 14 out of 35 and ended up going 13 of 18 at the free throw line (72.2%). The Celtics permitted the Magic to knock down 42 of 87 attempts from the field which had them shooting 48.3% for the game. At the conclusion of this game, the Celtics shot 48 for 92 from the field which had them at 52.2%. When talking about shots from 3-point land, Boston made 18 of 42 tries (42.9%). They were able to make 14 of those for a clip of 70.0%. The Magic committed 22 personal fouls in the game which took the Celtics to the charity stripe for a total of 20 attempts. They also turned the ball over 10 times, while recording 14 steals for this game. The Celtics snagged 25 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive rebounds totaling 34 for this game.

Jayson Tatum pitched in for the Celtics in the matchup. Tatum tallied 30 points in his 39 mins on the court and had 4 assists in this game. He made 11 of 22 in the game giving him a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and earned 6 rebounds.

Boston has a mark of 19-5 for the campaign. As an offense, the Celtics are hitting on 47.8% from the floor, which has them ranked 10th in the NBA. Boston has 2,827 pts for the campaign (117.8 per game) and they grab 46.1 rebounds per contest. They are getting an assist 25.0 times per contest (24th in basketball) and they are turning it over 13.8 times per contest. The Celtics are committing 17.7 fouls per contest and they hit 80.2% from the charity stripe.

The Boston defense allows 36.7% on shots from beyond the arc (328 of 893) and their opposition makes 73.2% of their free throw shots. They have given up 23.8 assists and 42.8 total boards per game, which has them ranked 3rd and 8th in the league. The Celtics on defense are ranked 3rd in the league in PPG given up with 109.0. They are forcing 12.8 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.8% from the field (4th in the NBA).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Orlando

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here