Two of the top defensive teams in the NBA will face off today when the Boston Celtics host the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their playoff series.
That defensive prowess makes this an interesting spot for NBA player props, and I’ve chosen three that bettors can target in this afternoon’s game. Read on to see my free NBA picks for Sunday, April 20.
Best Magic vs Celtics props
Banchero Under 24.5 points (-115 at bet365)
Pritchard Under 1.5 threes (+125 at bet365)- Tatum Over 5.5 assists (-130 at bet365)
Magic vs Celtics player props for April 20
Paolo Banchero Under 24.5 points (-115 at bet365)
Paolo Banchero has emerged as a true star for the Orlando Magic, leading the team with 25.9 points per game on the year. But we’ve seen Banchero struggle to score against the Boston Celtics, and that trend will continue in the playoffs.
Boston ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (110.1), allowing opponents to score just 107.2 PPG. With Banchero struggling with injuries this year, he only managed to face the Celtics twice, scoring 21 and 15 points in those outings, respectively.
It’s not just Banchero who has struggled to score when these two teams have met, either. Boston and Orlando hit the Under in three of their four meetings, and only once did either team manage to score as many as 115 points. The Magic were held Under 100 points in three of those games, and only got to 108 in the fourth.
If anything, Boston’s defensive intensity should ratchet up in the playoffs, which should mean even harder sledding for the Orlando offense. It’s hard to imagine Banchero breaking out against the Celtics today.
Payton Pritchard Under 1.5 threes (+125 at bet365)
Payton Pritchard enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 14.3 PPG on 40.7% shooting from 3-point range. That’s likely to earn the former Oregon standout the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
As those numbers suggest, his scoring has come primarily from deep, as he averaged 3.2 threes made per game this season. But Pritchard didn’t find that level of success against the Magic, hitting only two shots from deep in three meetings against Orlando.
Like the Celtics, the Magic have also been outstanding on defense this year, allowing just 105.5 PPG. They’ve also made a point of running opponents off the line, allowing the fewest 3-pointers attempted and made of any team in the NBA this season.
It’s also worth noting that Boston and Orlando are, statistically, the two slowest-paced teams in the NBA, which should depress all offensive stats. While Pritchard’s 3-point props might prove popular among the public, I’m bucking that trend and taking the Under.
Jayson Tatum Over 5.5 assists (-130 at bet365)
Even if these offenses will be limited, we can count on Jayson Tatum to continue filling the stat sheet. Tatum averaged 6.0 assists per game this year, and has gone Over 5.5 assists in eight of his last 10 games overall heading into the postseason.
We don’t have much of a sample size for Tatum against this Orlando team, as he only played in one of their four matchups during the regular season. But we’ve already seen how well Tatum distributes the ball in his previous playoff appearances, including Boston’s title run last year.
In the last three regular seasons before 2024-25, Tatum averaged between 4.4 and 4.9 assists per game. But in those three postseason runs, Tatum saw his assists average move up to 6.2, 5.3, and 6.3 per game, respectively. Like many all-around stars, Boston’s top player makes a point of getting teammates more involved in the playoffs as defenses bear down on him.
Tatum is easily averaging a career high in assists, as he’s never gone over 4.9 per game until this year. I expect that trend to continue in the postseason, and until oddsmakers start to credit him for his passing (and the number of other offensive weapons he has around him), taking the Over on Tatum’s assists totals is a sharp play.
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