Magic Straight Up over Celtics – Take the Game and Series Double Future

The first game in this series was a bit of a weird one, and certainly not the prettiest to watch. The Orlando Magic blew the Celtics out of the water in the first half. They were up 54-36 at halftime. Early in the third quarter, they stretched the lead all the way to 28. Bridging the 2nd and 3rd quarters, they went on a 37-7 run. The Magic were efficient on offense, with multiple guys penetrating and getting good looks.

The combination of Pietrus and J.J. Redick, who are replacing Courtney Lee as he recovers from minor surgery (he should be back later in the series, but not for Game 2), were a huge bonus. They combined for 29 points on 10-18 shooting, including 5-11 from deep. The Celtics looked downright helpless on offense. In what is perhaps the greatest shock of the postseason so far, Stephon Marbury provided the lone Celtic spark in the first half, scoring an aggressive 8 points in 9 minutes.

Then, late in the 3rd, the game did a total 180. The Magic became totally stagnant on offense as the Celtics ratcheted up the defensive energy and pressure. Even stranger, Scalabrine was the key to the run. He scored 10 points in 27 minutes including 2-3 from behind the arc and he was +22 overall. That was by far the best +/- on the Celtic team (Pierce was 2nd at +9). Boston managed to cut the lead down to four, and Ray Allen had a 3 pointer just rim out that would have cut that lead to 1. In the end, Boston had just dug themselves too deep a hole. The Magic have had a worrisome tendency to let big leads evaporate in the playoffs, and it’s definitely something they’ll want to look at. The need to find a way to continue to feature Howard in the offense, despite his poor free throw shooting. On the other hand, they managed to build a 28 point lead, which isn’t getting enough attention.

The truth is, with Garnett out, the Magic are the better team, even without Lee. Howard was a terror inside, grabbing 22 boards to go with 16 points, and that’s not going to change. Alston is quick enough to stay with Rondo, who went 2-12 from the field, and Pierce looks worn out, and has to guard a much bigger Hedo Turkoglu. When you rely on Marbury and Scalabrine to keep your team in it, there are deep issues with your team. The Magic bench will be a big advantage moving on in the series, and should compensate for Ray Allen’s return to form (he was also 2-12 in Game 1). The Magic won Game 1, despite a massive late game collapse. They’ll be better tonight, and should be considered a small underdog at worst. The Celtics are currently -190 on the moneyline in the BetOnline Sportsbook, which is far too generous to the Celtics’ chances.

If the Magic can take the game tonight, I think that there’s zero chance that Boston comes back and takes the series. Down 2-0, heading to Orlando, without your best player and locker room leader, it’s not going to happen.

The BetOnline sportsbook offers a special type of future bet called a “game and series double.” You have to pick the winner of tonight’s Game 2 and the eventual winner of the series. The current odds on the Magic to win the game and the series are at +170. If the Magic are even close to 50/50 to win tonight, there’s huge value in this bet.

Pick: Orlando Magic to Win Game 2 and the Series +170 (Basketball Futures – Game and Series Double)