The Boston Celtics will be taking on the Orlando Magic to open their quest in repeating as NBA Champions. Boston is looking to become the first team since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors to repeat, and many believe that they have a great chance to make it happen.
Boston has been one of the better teams across the NBA this season, and they enter the postseason clicking on all cylinders. The Celtics are being heavily favored in this series against the Magic, with many believing that they could sweep Orlando.
But who will actually win this series? Here are our expert predictions for who we think this matchup will go:
Matt Levine: Celtics in six
Even the Celtics team from last season dropped a few in the playoffs that they probably shouldn't have. Boston is focused, but with the lingering injury to Jaylen Brown, the Magic may be able to take advantage a little.
Orlando was heavily hyped up entering the season, but injuries derailed a lot of their progress. They are fairly healthy now, barring a few pieces, so they could be an interesting club in the postseason.
However, in the end, Boston is far too talented and will advance to the next round. The Magic should be able to cause some fits, but the Celtics have enough firepower to move on.
Ryan Stano: Celtics in five
Orlando is the worst 3-point shooting team in the league, which is a bad recipe against the team that launches the most threes. They simply won't have enough firepower to keep up.
Seth Quinn: Celtics in five
The Magic are actually a pretty similar team to the Celtics, led by two star wings, play at a slow pace, and defend at an elite level. However, the Celtics have far superior shooting, which is a hard disadvantage to overcome. The Magic can take one game on an off-shooting night from the Celtics, but otherwise, the C’s will dominate the series.
Alex Kirschenbaum: Celtics in five
Defensively, Orlando should give Boston fits, making it hard for the reigning champs to get to their spots and nail triples at a record clip. But offensively, the Magic will not be able to keep up.
