The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic will meet in NBA Cup action on Friday night in Florida. Boston won its NBA Cup opener last week and will try to jump out to a big lead in Group B in the Eastern Conference with a win tonight. The Magic are playing their first cup game of the season and will try to get off to a good start at home. Here, I break down this group stage matchup and give you my Celtics vs Magic prediction for tonight.
Our Celtics vs Magic Pick
- Pick: Magic -3.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Orlando Magic
- Date & Time: Friday, November 7, 2025, 7:00 PM ET
- Venue: Kia Center, Orlando, Florida
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Key Storylines
Both of these teams are below .500 to start the season. The Celtics are 4-5 and struggling to find consistency without Jayson Tatum available after his Achilles injury. Boston did beat the Washington Wizards at home in their last game. Orlando has been healthy for the most part, but is 3-5 and hoping to play well at home after a five-game road trip. The Magic come into this game off a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Orlando continues to lean heavily on Paolo Banchero for offensive production. Banchero leads the Magic in scoring with 23.1 points per game. Boston has counted on contributions from Jaylen Brown in Tatum’s absence. Brown is averaging 27.7 points per game this season. Outside shooting from Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard is also very important to their success.
Orlando is 1-2 at home so far this season and the Celtics are 2-2 on the road to begin the year. Both teams are searching for a higher level than they have demonstrated early in the year and an NBA Cup game would be the perfect place for them to find that level.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- This is the first regular-season meeting between Boston and Orlando this season. They will play four times during the regular season in total.
- Boston is 3-6 against the spread this season.
- Orlando is 2-6 against the spread entering Friday night.
- Orlando is 4-4 on over/unders to begin this year.
- Boston has gone under the total five times in nine games.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Paolo Banchero | Over 23.5 points |
| Jaylen Brown | Over 26.5 points |
Celtics vs Magic Model Projection
Score Projection: Boston Celtics 114 – Orlando Magic 119
Win Probability: Boston Celtics 42%, Orlando Magic 58%
Final Thoughts
My model has the Magic winning by around five points against the Celtics tonight. I think that Orlando will cover the spread by a slim margin on their home floor, taking advantage of being back in Orlando after their extended road trip. Banchero and Brown should cancel each other out from a scoring standpoint and the depth of the Magic will be the determining factor in this game’s outcome.
