The Wizards are looking for a back-to-back win, while the Hawks are trying to improve their miserable record. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards
Spread: Washington Wizards -10 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 220 (-110)
The Hawks are playing the second of back-to-back matches
The Atlanta Hawks are the worst team in the Eastern Conference at the moments, as they won only two games and suffered ten defeats, most recently to the Detroit Pistons, 104:111. The only positive so far is the away victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, but on the other hand, the Cavs are not playing on a high level, so it’s a small consolation for Mike Budenholzer’s team.
The Pistons had a 16-point lead at halftime, and the Hawks failed to complete a comeback even though they came close in the fourth quarter. Atlanta recorded a decent 49.4% from the field and was better in several segments such as assists (28-23), blocks (7-5), and steals (11-7), but in the end, Detroit won thanks to more shots made from the free-throw line (21-8). Kent Bazemore led the Hawks with 22 points, five boards, five dimes, and game-high three thefts, while Dennis Schroder posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 assists, along with four rebounds, and two steals. John Collins scored a career-high 16 points with eight boards, and game-high two rejections, Marco Belinelli contributed with 14 points and two steals, while Dewayne Dedmon had 13 points and nine rebounds. The matchup between Schroder and John Wall will be interesting to watch, but Taurean Prince is the player to be monitored as he didn’t have the best performance on Friday, hitting just four out of 13 attempts. Although he will face Otto Porter who is a solid defender, Prince should bounce back on this one and return to his usual. Taurean failed to reach double digits in the previous two games, so I expect him to at least get close to his 13.6 ppg. Belinelli could be a game-changer coming off the bench and following four consecutive outings with little to no contribution to the attack, the Italian sharpshooter combined for 33 points in the last two displays.
Mike Budenholzer still cannot count on Ersan Ilyasova (knee), Miles Plumlee (strained right quad), and DeAndre Bembry (right wrist), and will likely be without the trio for a couple of weeks, while Mike Muscala also sustained an ankle injury against the Houston Rockets and is sidelined for this clash. These setbacks put the coach in an awkward place as he is missing big guys on the floor so Luke Babbitt will get another start at the power forward, with Dedmon at the center. The Hawks are scoring 103.09 points per contest on average (23rd in the NBA), while they are allowing 110.55 points in return (26th in the NBA). Atlanta is in the sixth position in the league when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc (38.41%), and in the fifth place from the free-throw line (81.12%).
Place: Capitol One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Date/Time: Saturday, November 11th, 2017, 7 PM ET
TV Coverage: NBCSWA, FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST
The Wizards are searching for the seventh home win in a row against the Hawks
The Washington Wizards are 6-5 at the moment and haven’t impressed so far, especially at home where they already suffered three losses in six matches. Given that their home record was excellent last season, this is something far from expected; even Dallas and Phoenix beat them at Capitol One Arena. Washington ended a three-game losing streak at home with a 111:95 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, and now are hoping for another easy W against the weakest team in the East.
The Wizards won all four quarters and had 51.8% from the field, and the fact that the Lakers made only three shots from the perimeter out of 23 attempts helped them big time. Washington committed 22 turnovers but still managed to win without problems, as three players reached 20+ points. John Wall led Washington with 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and game-high three blocks, while Bradley Beal followed him with 22 points, five boards, and five dishes. Otto Porter posted his third double-double of the campaign with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Markieff Morris chipped in with season-high 16 points and five boards in only 17 minutes on the floor. The Wizards are 2-2 since Morris returned after an injury, but there is no doubt he will help the team to play better, as Kelly Oubre will now lead the bench and add more quality to it. Marcin Gortat scored eight points in each of the last two matches, and I think he will play a more significant part in the offense against the Hawks on Saturday. The Polish international has more experience than the entire Atlanta’s frontcourt, so I expect him to exploit it and aim for his fifth double-double of the season. Wall and Beal are men to watch, naturally, but the battle between Porter and Prince could be the intriguing one. Markieff Morris should have a favorable matchup against Babbitt, but it is a question how many minutes he’ll get as the Wizards don’t want to rush him.
Scott Brooks is satisfied with the current clean bill of health, and following Morris’ recovery, all of the last season’s key players are at full strength and ready to go. The Wizards are scoring 111.38 points per contest on average (3rd in the NBA), while they are allowing 108.27 points in return (23rd in the NBA). Washington is eighth in the league when it comes to three-point shooting (37.50%), and are the fifth in defending the perimeter (32.11%).
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards Trends & Prediction
The Hawks are 5-6-1 against the spread (3-4-1 away), while they are 7-4-1 on over/under (4-3-1 away), and considering they have several injury-related issues and are weakened below the rims; I wouldn’t be surprised seeing them losing by 11 or more.
The Wizards are 5-6 against the spread (1-5 home), while they are 5-6 on over/under (4-2 home), and given that the Hawks are playing the second of B2B matches and the fact that they are without a win in Washington in the previous six, I am backing the hosts to win big here. Also, the Wizards could score around 120 points, so opting for OVER should be a right decision.
My Pick: Washington -10 (-110)
Total: Over 220 (-110)
