Professional sports are beginning to embrace gambling like never before, and the Washington Wizards are yet another example of the changing landscape. NBC Sports Washington will broadcast a betting-centric alternate broadcast during Washington's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

“Combining the excitement of live Wizards games with engaging predictive gaming and data feeds will deliver a very entertaining experience for viewers, from first-time gaming players to savvy sports bettors,” said NBC Sports Washington senior VP Damon Phillips to David Purdum of ESPN. “The level of interest from fans, partners and sponsors in this area continues to increase, so we are pleased to offer this compelling product this season.”

The broadcast will show relevant statistics and gambling lines as well as feature a predictive contest called “Predict the Game” with a $500 prize. This is an interesting feature and it should pull in more viewers. The Friday broadcast will be the first of eight alternate broadcasts NBC Sports Washington has planned.

It's likely that NBC Sports Washington will tweak the alternate broadcasts as the games go on. Fans will almost certainly be interested in checking out the alternate broadcast, but it's unclear whether or not it will become a popular alternative to the regular broadcast.

The Wizards have struggled all season, but they've won three of their last four. The Bucks will pose a major problem for Washington and they'll likely be the favorites. Milwaukee is among the top teams in the Eastern Conference and they're currently just a half-game back of the No. 1 seed.