Celtics vs. Magic Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, Nov. 1

Sunday’s NBA action begins at 3:30 pm. EST, as the Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic and Franz Wagner.

Orlando is off to a 2-3 start this season, and the injury bug once again has taken out two of Orlando’s top players. Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (knee) are both sidelined at the moment, leaving new head coach Sean Sweeney with fewer options in his rotation as the team looks to navigate a loaded Eastern Conference.

The Magic are home underdogs on Sunday against Boston, even though Orlando held on to win an NBA Cup matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the C’s are on a four-game winning streak after blowing a lead against Detroit in their season opener. Tatum and Co. remain one of the best offensive teams in the league (sixth in offensive rating), and they blew out the Chicago Bulls in their NBA Cup matchup on Friday.

Both of these teams are playing the front end of a back-to-back, as all 30 NBA teams are in action on Monday. That has caused Boston to list center Mitchell Robinson (rest) as questionable for this matchup.

Can the C’s take care of business on the road to keep this winning streak going?

I’m eyeing a player prop and a pick for the first half of this game, but let’s take a look at the odds, injuries and more to help bettors get the most of this afternoon matchup.

Celtics vs. Magic Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Celtics -6.5 (-110)
Magic +6.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Celtics: -258
Magic: +210

Total

221.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Celtics vs. Magic How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Kia Center
How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Boston, MagicTV 27, NBA League Pass
Celtics record: 4-1
Magic record: 2-3

Celtics vs. Magic Injury Reports

Celtics Injury Report

Devin Carter – out
Mitchell Robinson – questionable

Magic Injury Report

Paolo Banchero – out
Jalen Suggs – out
Jonathan Isaac – out
Noah Penda – out
Izaiyah Nelson – out

Celtics vs. Magic Best NBA Prop Bets

Magic Best NBA Prop Bet

Anthony Black OVER 21.5 Points, Rebounds and Assists (-116)

With Banchero and Suggs sidelined, I’m eyeing guard Anthony Black in the prop market as he’s in line to make a third start in a row:

Magic guard Anthony Black is set to make his third start of the season with Banchero and Suggs both sidelined with injuries.

Black had a strong start to his season after missing Orlando’s first two games, dropping 18 points, three rebounds and five dimes off the bench in a win over the New York Knicks. He followed that up with a down game in a loss to Toronto (eight points, two boards and one assist) before bouncing back with a 17-point, six-rebound, 10-assist game on Friday.

The ceiling for Black is really high when it comes to this prop, and he’s averaging 23.3 points, rebounds and assists per game this season. Even against a solid Boston defense, Black is worth a look since he’s going to handle the ball a ton.

The Magic are essentially looking to piece things together on offense around Black, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, and there’s a chance the former lottery pick clears this number on points alone.

Since he’s playing an expanded role as a starter, Black is undervalued in this market on Sunday.

Celtics vs. Magic Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m taking Boston to lead this game early against the banged-up Magic:

After losing their season opener, the Celtics have rattled off four wins in a row, and they’re favored on the road against a Magic team that is down both Jalen Suggs and Paolo Banchero.

The Magic are off to a 2-3 start, ranking 23rd in the league in net rating despite winning their NBA Cup matchup with Toronto on Friday. I’m not buying the Magic against a relatively healthy Boston team (Mitchell Robinson is questionable), especially in the first half.

Over the last three seasons, Boston has been one of the best teams in the NBA against the spread in the first half. Here’s a look at the record you’d have if you simply bet C’s first half over the last three seasons:

2025-26 season: 53-31-1 (+17.05 units)
2024-25 season: 48-45-0 (-4.35 units)
2023-24 season: 66-34-1 (+26.05 units)

This season, Boston is 3-2 against the spread in the first half, and it’s just a 3.5-point favorite against the Magic. Overall, the C’s are No. 2 in the league in first half net rating (plus-20.6) this season while the Magic are 24th (minus-11.5).

With both Banchero and Suggs out, Orlando is extremely thin and may have some questionable lineups as Sean Sweeney looks to get his top players – Franz Wanger, Desmond Bane, Anthony Black – some rest in the first half.

I’ll bet on Boston, which is sixth overall in net rating this season, to get off to a strong start on Sunday.

Pick: Celtics First Half -3.5 (-105 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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