Tonight’s NBA double header gets underway with a rematch of a Monday night game between Eastern Conference rivals Boston and Orlando. The Magic will look to avenge their poor showing earlier this week when they tip things off at 8:00pm ET tonight at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida; this evening’s game will be broadcast live on TNT. NBA Odds makers have Dwight Howard and company listed as a -10 against the spread home favorite and the game total set at 174.5 points.
When Orlando rolled into Boston on Monday night it did so with a fair amount of momentum. The Magic had won six of their previous seven games and they were coming off an impressive 92-80 home win over the Lakers. None of that seemed to matter, though, when they stepped on the floor at the TD Garden.
The Celtics dominated the game in all facets, but their defensive showing was off the charts as they held Orlando to 16-of-65 from the floor. Howard, who scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, was the only Magic player to post over eight points. The Celtics also blocked nine shots, recorded 13 steals, and forced 23 Orlando turnovers.
Three Boston players, Kevin Garnett (14), Paul Pierce (19), and bench player Brandon Bass, topped double figures in scoring and the team turned in a perfect 19-for-19 performance from the free throw line.
As any NBA fan knows, though, Monday’s result is irrelevant when it comes to projecting the outcome of tonight’s game. In fact, using it as a barometer would be a mistake as Orlando is playing much better than the Celtics at this point in the season.
The Magic are 12-5 overall and 6-2 at home while the Celtics are 7-9 overall and 2-4 on the road. Orlando has also won five of the last seven regular season meetings between these two rivals at the Amway Center.
Look for the Magic, which knocked off the Pacers 102-83 in Indianapolis on Tuesday, to exact some revenge tonight (Boston is 1-9 in its last 10 as a road with a spread between 8 and 10.5), but covering the spread may be another matter.
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Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic 2012 NBA Odds: Provided by TopBet.com
Boston Celtics +10 (-110), Over 174.5 (-110), +450 (Moneyline)
Orlando Magic -10 (-110), Under 174.5 (-110), -600 (Moneyline)
