The Washington Wizards are playing the second game of their road trip on Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Wizards-Warriors prediction and pick.
The Wizards have lost seven of their last ten games for a record of 18-32, and sit as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Warriors have also lost seven of their last ten games for a record of 24-27. The Warriors are coming off a big home win against the Milwaukee Bucks. They are the 10th seed in the Western Conference
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Wizards-Warriors odds.
NBA Odds: Wizards-Warriors Odds
Washington Wizards +4.5 (-108)
Golden State Warriors -4.5 (-112)
Over 239.5 Points (-110)
Under 239.5 Points(-110)
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
Coach Scott Brooks and the Wizards are missing their All-Star Bradley Beal who is navigating through a hip injury. The good news is that Beal will be probable for Friday’s game against the Warriors.
Beal is the primary offensive weapon for the Wizards and has been having an incredible season so far. He has been averaging 31.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting almost 50 percent from the field.
The Wizards are also being led offensively by Russell Westbrook who is averaging 21.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10.6 assists per game while shooting above 40 percent from the field.
The talented backcourt for the Wizards allows them to compete with any team offensively. The issue for Coach Brooks this entire season has been trying to get his team committed defensively.
This Washington team currently holds the 5th worst defensive rating in the league which is an improvement from before when they were rated the worse defensive team in the NBA. That said, the key for the Wizards to cover the spread against the Warriors will be to contain Steph Curry by forcing the ball out of his hands and forcing him to shoot bad shots.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
Steph Curry has been dealing with an injury as of late that has forced him out of some games. Without Curry, the Warriors are just a completely different and worse team offensively.
So far this season, Curry has averaged 29.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting almost 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the three-point line. Curry’s impact also goes way beyond his stat line. He’s both an offensive threat and a playmaker meaning that his presence alone helps to free up his teammates and Curry’s vision allows him to find his teammate open for the shot. Moreover, Curry is that late-game closer for the Warriors and can get a bucket when the team needs it in the fourth.
Fortunately, Curry will be suiting up for the Dubs on Sunday against the Wizards despite still recovering from his injury.
This will take a lot of pressure off of Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green to handle the ball and to run the offense for the team. The two have been solid for Steve Kerr as Wiggins is the second-leading scorer for the Warriors and Green is putting up the most assists on the team even ahead of Curry at 8.5 assists per game.
The key for the Warriors to cover the spread against the Wizards is on the defensive end of the floor. This Golden State team will need to force the ball out of Beal’s and Westbrook’s hands and to live with shots from the rest of the Wizards team.
Final Wizards-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Warriors haven’t been playing their best basketball of the season as of late and much because of injuries to key players in Curry and Green. Both teams in this matchup are pretty terrible defensive teams and so this game will come down to who can dominate offensively more.
While Steve Kerr has one of the best shooters, if not the best, in Curry, Scott Brooks has both Westbrook and Beal who can get their teammates involved or take over the game themselves. For that reason, the Wizards should cover the spread and pick up their second-straight win.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: WAS 122, GSW 118 (WSH +4.5)
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