The opening matchup of tonight’s nine-game NBA slate will be between the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic. Jayson Tatum and company will host their Eastern Conference foes and be looking to bounce back from their surprising 110-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
On the season, the Celtics hold a record of 28-12 and trail only the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. Repeating as champion is a daunting task for any team, but the Celtics have flashed their dominant ability for stretches this year. Orlando sits just a few spots below them at fifth place in the Eastern Conference with their 23-19 record. Injuries have greatly impacted the Magic’s season and this will continue to be the case tonight. Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Gary Harris, Jett Howard, Goga Bitadze, and Mo Wagner will each be out tonight due to their respective injuries.
The Celtics enter this game as 14.5-point favorites and -1100 on the Moneyline. The Magic hold +700 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at 213.
Best Jayson Tatum Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Tatum’s props are listed at over/under 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.5 made three-pointers and 40.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Jayson Tatum Over 9.5 Rebounds (+100)
So far this season Jayson Tatum is averaging 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. The growth of Tatum as a rebounder has been a key story during his career. His ability to serve as a big man in their system has unlocked a lot of their lineup versatility and is a driving force behind why they can play so much five-out basketball.
Tatum’s 9.4 rebounds per game are a career-high and he has recorded over 9.5 rebounds in 18 of the 37 games he has played. From the season-wide perspective, the Magic have been a solid rebounding team. They rank ninth in opponents’ rebounds allowed and give up the fewest offensive rebounds in the league. However, injuries continue to take a toll and this will be put on display tonight. Orlando will be without their leading rebounder in Goga Bitadze and be missing four of their top eight rebounders overall.
Boston will be looking to pick themselves up off the matt after the blowout loss the last time they were on the court. This has been an infrequent occurrence for this team but expect Tatum to set the tone for the organization tonight. While this will surely show in the scoring column as well, look for Tatum to assert himself on the boards in a game where they should have the rebounding advantage.
The Celtics star has recorded over 9.5 rebounds in three straight games entering tonight and four of his last five. Expect the Magic’s injury issues to be clear and impact them on the boards. Count on Tatum exploiting this and making his way to over 9.5 rebounds tonight.
Jayson Tatum Under 3.5 Made Three-Pointers (-166)
The Boston Celtics have leaned heavily on their three-point production for their offensive identity. They are attempting 49.3 three-point attempts per game which is pace to set the NBA record. The 2018-19 Houston Rockets currently hold this record and attempted 45.4 perimeter shots per game. Looking at this season’s production, the Chicago Bulls are second in the league with 43.2 three-point attempts per game. Both historically and in the NBA this year there is a notable gap in three-point volume between the Celtics and everyone else.
Tatum plays a key role in this and is launching a career-high 10.3 three-point attempts per game. He is connecting on 35.9% of his three-point attempts which comes out to an average of 3.7 makes per game. However, he has been held to under 3.5 made three-pointers in 17 games this season. This includes five consecutive matchups leading into tonight’s game.
On top of this, the Magic are allowing the fewest three-point attempts to opponents of any team in the league this year. They have leaned on their defensive identity amid their variety of injuries and this is sure to be a point of emphasis tonight against the defending champions. Tatum will surely get his in spurts but expect the Magic defense to chase him off the line as often as possible and limit his three-point attempts. Count on him being held under 3.5 made long-range shots for the sixth consecutive game.
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