NBA
(1 Pick)
3:00PM EST: Celtics -8.5 (3 Units)
It's never easy to beat a professional team back-to-back but it helps when you played shorthanded the first time around. Kristaps Porzingis missed Friday's game and they still won by 17. He's back today along with every other key Boston starter. The Celtics are 13-0 at Home and the vastly superior team. They've won 8 of their 13 Home games by Double Digits this season. The single digit wins are 9 over CLE, (3PT final shot for CLE or that's double digits), 7 over CLE, 6 over PHI, 3 over MIL, and 8 over MIA in their Home Opener.
Orlando doesn't matchup very well against Boston. They play through forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero but Boston plays great switch defense with Tatum, Brown, and Holiday interchangeable. Then there's Porzingis defending the Rim who's having one of, if not the best defensive season of his career. Offensively Tatum and Brown hold a very clear edge over the Magic defenders and why they combined for 48 points in Game 1.
Porzingis also presents a unique size problem for the Orlando defense. Their starting Center is hurt so they're down to Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner. Neither one of them stands 7 foot tall while Porzingis is 7'2. The Celtics big man is averaging 19.1 points per game on a career high 52.5% from the floor. He's also a career 35.7% 3-PT shooter and attempts just over 5 per game. He stretches out the floor for the rest of Boston's offense.
Orlando's Jalen Suggs is also a game time decision after suffering a minor wrist sprain on Friday. As is Joe Ingles after suffering an ankle sprain Monday and missing the first game against Boston. The Former is much more important and a key component to the offense but Ingles is quality depth and a + shooter. Those 2 are Orlando's top 2 3-PT shooters. Suggs scored 19 points and went 5-9 from deep against Boston on Friday.
With Boston at Home and at full force against a banged up Orlando team, they should roll again today.
