NBA: Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Wizards Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Golden State Warriors are unlikely to defend their NBA title if they continue to play like this. Furthermore, they will be out of the playoff race with the current level of play. Their next event is in Washington, where they meet with the Wizards, who aren’t much better currently and have plenty of trouble gaining consistency. At one point, this team posted solid results, but all that fell apart recently.

Preview

Golden State Warriors (21-22, -180) come in this clash as favorites, despite losing last night’s battle in Chicago. The Bulls swept the rivals, 132-118, in a roller coaster game that saw the Bulls winning the opening period by 15 points, then losing the second 18, before rolling over the champs in the second half. 

We noticed Golden State’s struggle in defense over the previous few events. Even with Wiggins on the floor, this team isn’t performing well in that aspect. The Bulls shot 50.5% from the field, having 56 points in the paint compared to only 34 of the Warriors.

Klay scored a team-high 26 points, eight threes, while Curry added 20 and 10 boards. Jordan Poole had 15 off the bench, while Anthony Lamb added 14, also off the bench. The Warriors fired 51 three-point attempts hitting 21, which isn’t a bad percentage but isn’t great either.

Washington Wizards (18-25, +140) have four losses in the past five games and have played pretty badly for some period of time now. Before this negative streak, the Wizards had five wins in a row, and that only tells that this team doesn’t have the needed consistency to make a notable result. 

The most recent failure was at home against the New York Knicks, 112-108, following a tight battle that saw the guests having more composure and luck in the closing seconds. The Wizards had chances to win here but were stopped when it mattered most.

Kyle Kuzma had 40 points, looking unstoppable. Kuz shot 14-for-27 from the field, having seven boards and assists each. Kristaps Porzingis was near his usual stats, posting 21 points, while Corey Kispert scored 13 with five boards. Bradley Beal is still injured, and overall, the Wizs played with only nine players here. 

Head to Head Games

This is the first meeting of the year between these two units. The second will be in February in California. The last year’s series was split between these two units, with the Warriors triumphing at home, 126-112, and the Wizards in DC, 123-115. 

Prediction

The Warriors have problems with injuries all year long, and they will be without a few guys tonight, yet nobody from the starting lineup. Their performances this season are a clear case of a championship hangover, with the Dub Nation underachieving and not caring about it too much. The Wizards go up and down, but in this case, we give them an edge, and we will recommend betting on them to defend a 4.5-point spread which the bookies currently offer. Kuz and the boys play solid at home and now have a chance to beat the tired and unmotivated rivals, who is in poor shape.

Pick: Wizards -4.5 -110