The Golden State Warriors will pay a visit to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Wizards on Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Warriors-Wizards prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Golden State is coming off a 121-110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks this past Friday. Despite the defeat, Klay Thompson erupted for 37 points and nine 3-pointers in a season-high 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Jordan Poole notched his 12th straight game of 20-plus points, finishing with 24 points and 10 assists. The Warriors are still without superstar Stephen Curry as he continues to recover from a foot injury.
Meanwhile, the Wizards beat the Detroit Pistons, 100-97, on Friday led by a pair of double-doubles from Kristaps Porzingis and Deni Avdija. The Latvian had 30 points and 10 rebounds, while the Israeli-Serbian tallied 21 points and 10 boards.
Golden State won the previous meeting between these two clubs just a couple of weeks ago. Of course, the main difference in that game was Stephen Curry, who won't be available on Sunday. Curry went off for 47 points in that one, and that also marked the first game the trio of Curry, Green, and Thompson played together after 1,005 days. Unfortunately, it only lasted one game as Curry got hurt the next outing versus Boston.
Here are the Warriors–Wizards odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA odds: Warriors–Wizards Odds
Golden State Warriors: -7 (-110)
Washington Wizards: +7 (-110)
Over: 218.5 (-110)
Under: 218.5 (-110)
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Why the Warriors could cover the spread
The Warriors are without their best player in Stephen Curry and have struggled without their franchise superstar on the floor. Since the two-time MVP injured his foot versus Boston, Golden State has gone just 1-3, which included a loss to the Orlando Magic.
Despite this, rising star Jordan Poole has stepped up big time in Curry's absence. Over this same stretch, Poole has been one of the lone bright spots for the Dubs, boasting averages of 27.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists while also shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3. The 22-year-old has also scored at least 20 points in 12 straight games.
Klay Thompson also had a massive evening in Golden State's most recent outing and played a season high in minutes. This could be a sign that the five-time All-Star may be finally finding his form once again.
On the season, Golden State is 37-34 against the spread. As of late, they have been losing games they, otherwise, should be winning even without Curry.
Aside from the eight-time All-Star, the Warriors are also still without Andre Iguodala, who is still dealing with back issues. Sophomore James Wiseman has also been ruled out of the season due to a setback in his knee recovery.
Why the Wizards could cover the spread
It certainly helps Washington that Golden State is without Stephen Curry. The Warriors have had a couple of bad losses this past week, one to the Magic, and the other to the Spurs. Those are two games Golden State really should have won given the talent still on hand.
With that said, perhaps the Wizards can catch the Warriors on one of those nights as the Dubs continue to tread waters without their franchise star.
Nonetheless, Washington hasn't been playing well as of late, either. They've won just three of their last 11, and one of those losses came against Golden State a couple of weeks ago. The Wizards are just 28-42 against the spread, but did just pick up a win in a game in which they were surprisingly the underdogs against the Pistons.
Kristaps Porzingis has been a bright spot for Washington and is averaging 21.2 points and 8.1 rebounds since donning a Wizards jersey. Deni Avdija also had a career game against the Pistons and is averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds over his last seven. Perhaps the sophomore could pick up some steam to finish off his second season strong.
Aside from Bradley Beal (done for the season due to wrist surgery), Washington will continue to be without Kyle Kuzma (knee), who will miss his fifth straight outing. Vernon Carey Jr. is out with a right calf strain. Daniel Gafford is probable due to a neck strain.
Final Warriors–Wizards prediction and pick
Go with the Warriors for this one. Jordan Poole is playing with a ton of confidence, and Klay Thompson gained some mojo back after going for 37 points and playing 40 minutes in their most recent outing versus Atlanta. Sure, not having Stephen Curry is a little risky, but they did show against Miami they can play well even without the two-time MVP (and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green).
Final Warriors–Wizards Prediction & Pick: Warriors: -7 (-110)
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