Those who bet on World Cup odds don't have to worry about wagering on a series, and the Boston Celtics will be the first ones to tell you that despite their Game 1 win in Orlando, this series is far from over. The two meet up in Orlando for Game 2 on Tuesday, and the Celtics can expect a much tougher game from the Magic, especially early on.
Bet Celtics Magic – Tuesday, May 18, 8:30 PM ET
The Celtics were up by eight points at the end of the first quarter, and had built up a 20-point lead in the second half against the Magic. Orlando fought back to make a game of it, but the Celtics came away with a 92-88 win on the road, their third in six games away from home this postseason. Ray Allen was the high man with 25 points with seven rebounds, while Paul Pierce added 22 points and nine boards for the Celtics, who were outrebounded 45-38, including 15-7 on the offensive glass. The Celtics overcame that by forcing 18 turnovers, which led to Boston being able to get out in the open floor and gaining a 20-6 edge over the Magic in fast-break points.
The Magic showed a lot of rust from a six-day rest, as they've been off since routing Atlanta in a record-breaking four-game sweep that caused the Hawks to fire coach Mike Woodson. Vince Carter led the way with 23 points for the Magic, who shot 41.6% from the field, but you could really see it in their three-point shooting as they missed 17 of their 22 shots from behind the arc, which is rare for such a good three-point shooting team. Dwight Howard had an inconsistent day with 13 points, 12 boards and five blocks, but he missed seven of his 10 field-goal attempts, and he had seven of Orlando's 18 turnovers.
The Magic are a 7.5-point NBA betting favorite in your offshore sportsbook, and the Magic were flat out of the gate, largely due to their layoff, and the Celtics' last series with Cleveland that caused them to have a steady flow of intensity and energy. The Magic strolled through the playoffs with sweeps of Charlotte and Atlanta prior to this series, and the Magic didn't get that energy and sense of urgency until the fourth quarter, when they just ran out of time in their comeback. The Celtics know that the Magic will come out with a better start in Game 2, and they'll have to weather that storm. The Magic will get a big game from Howard, who will have to do a better job of protecting the ball if Orlando are going to avoid an 0-2 hole going back to Boston.
Online betting pick: Orlando -7.5