The Boston Celtics host the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs first-round Eastern Conference matchups on Wednesday, April 23, but could be without superstar Jayson Tatum after the latest injury reports.
Tatum sustained a bone bruise on his right wrist in the fourth quarter of the Celtics 103-86 win over the Magic in Game 1 on Sunday. He remained in the game but missed his two free throws awarded on the play during which he was injured and made two shots over the final 8 minutes.
Now downgraded to "doubtful" for Game 2, our experts have updated their latest prediction to reflect the line movement at bet365 sportsbook as we look to identify the current betting value.
For bettors and fans looking to wager on Magic-Celtics, all new users can get $150 on bonus bets for placing just their first $5 bet by using the bet365 bonus code "DIMERS" ahead of tonight's game.
After opening as 12-point favorites, the Celtics have moved down 1.5 points to -10.5 over the Magic. Our model originally predicted the Celtics to cover the spread with a 14-point victory, however in the wake of the Jayson Tatum injury news, we now give the Magic a 55% probability to cover the 10.5-point spread.
An even bigger impact can be seen in the game total, which opened at o/u 201.5, dropping 5 full point to o/u 196.5 with Tatum expected to miss the game.
The Dimers model believes this to be an overcorrection, identifying a 56% probability of the game going over the lower total, with a final predicted score of 104-95, landing right in the middle of the opening and current lines.
On the moneyline, the Celtics have dropped slightly from -650 favorites to -550 on bet365 sportsbook, though they were as short as -800 briefly on Tuesday before the news. While the Dimers model predicts the Celtics with a 78% win probability, this would make fair odds of just -355, presenting some value on the Magic at +400 (2-% implied) and a 22% win probability.
Fun fact: In 10 games without Tatum this season, the Celtics are 8-2. Both losses were to the Orlando Magic.

The Celtics are preparing for Jayson Tatum to miss Game 2 vs. the Magic.
With Jayson Tatum set to be sidelined for Game 2, we're comparing our latest player projections for the Celtics stars with their performances in previous games without Tatum.
Jaylen Brown - The Celtics SG averaged 22.9 PTS, 6.4 REB and 6.3 AST in games without Tatum this season, maxing out with a 35-point performance vs. this very Magic team back in December. He is our model's leading-projected scorer in this game with 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Derrick White - White led the team in scoring in Game 1 even with Jayson Tatum on the floor. In games without Tatum, he averaged 20.8 PTS, 5.8 AST and 3.5 REB per game. He finished with 17/4/4 in that same December 23 game vs. the Magic. He's projected for 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists from our model tonight.
Payton Pritchard - The newly-crowned NBA Sixth Man of the Year could be the biggest beneficiary in Tatum's absence with his three-point shooting prowess. He comes off the bench but could see a spike in minutes, averaging 31.7 in games when Tatum doesn't play. He's currently projected for 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists by the Dimers model.
Below you will find important viewing and betting information for tonight's Celtics vs. Magic Game. Betting information for the other NBA playoffs games on Wednesday night can be found here: NBA Predictions.
View our full Celtics vs. Magic Prediction, including our Best Bets, Top Props and full NBA player projections.
In addition to their "Bet 5, Get $150" offer with the bet365 bonus code "DIMERS," users can also find these exciting bet boosts for Celtics-Magic Game 2 on the sportsbook:
Game: ORL Magic @ BOS Celtics
Game: ORL Magic @ BOS Celtics
Game: ORL Magic @ BOS Celtics
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