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Carrie Stroup here and Sportsbook.com had your Magic vs. Celtics line with a disappointing Boston team as the +5 underdog here entering with a record of 6-9. The Celtics a +5 underdog at home? Say it isn’t so. This game is going off Monday night January 23, 2012. Open an online betting account with Sportsbook.com today and tell them Carrie sent you to receive up to $250 in FREE CASH based on initial deposit.
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Orlando -5 & 176.5
Opening Line & Total: Magic -4 & 178.5
The Orlando Magic have won six of their past seven games and travel to Boston to take on the Celtics, who have not found similar success this season.
The Magic enter this game having won four straight road games (SU and ATS). The Celtics are just 3-6 ATS at home and enter this game battered and bruised. Rajon Rondo (9.4 APG) has missed the past two games with a wrist injury while Ray Allen exited Sunday’s game early with an ankle ailment. Both are doubtful for this game, a potentially huge factor in determining the lines. But even if both Boston starters do suit up, Orlando is still the play in this game. A weakened backcourt bodes well for the Magic who make an NBA-best 10.0 three-pointers per game on a 40.1% clip (2nd-best in the league). Between that outside game and the skills of Dwight Howard (20.2 PPG, 16.1 RPG) in the post, a tired Celtics squad (5-17 ATS on zero days rest in past two seasons) will not be able to keep up.
Watch out for a number of injury reports in this game, primarily pertaining to Rondo and Allen, but also Orlando forward Hedo Turkoglu (14.5 PPG, 48% 3-pt FG) who has missed time recently with a back injury, although the Magic expect him to play Monday night.
Orlando’s two most dynamic players are its two interior ones. Howard paces the team in points, rebounds and blocks (2.33 BPG) while Ryan Anderson is second in points (17.5 PPG) and rebounds (7.3 RPG). They complement each other nicely, as Howard is exclusively a post player while Anderson stretches defenses out with his offensive range. He leads the Magic’s elite three-point attack with 3.3 treys per game. The Magic are difficult to guard with so many different threats, such as J.J. Redick (12.5 PPG) and Jason Richardson (11.2 PPG) who bring different attacking styles when they are on the floor. Richardson had missed three straight games with a knee injury, but looked pretty healthy in Friday’s 92-80 win over the Lakers, scoring 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting. And, even though Glen Davis (7.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG) is not a leading contributor on this team, look for him to be aggressive in his first game against his former team.
Allen (14.9 PPG) was averaging 18.7 PPG in his first nine games, but has just 8.0 PPG on 38.9% FG in his past five contests. But while Allen has cooled down, Paul Pierce (16.3 PPG) has heated up. Pierce looked like his old self in Boston’s win over the Wizards on Sunday, notching 34 points (10-of-15 FG), 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Especially with Allen and Rondo’s health in question, Pierce will have a heavy burden to bear on the offensive end. Kevin Garnett (13.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG) will also have to step up and try to match up with the Magic’s big men. With so many injury questions and coming off a game Sunday, play against this aging team.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
