The Washington Wizards have been using their magic to come away with some very narrow victories in their last two games. They narrowly edged out the Celtics in an overtime shootout and needed a buzzer-beater to bring down the Magic. But will the Wizards be able to pull off another great escape when they face the streaking Los Angeles Clippers? Find out with our breakdown below.
For more on Friday night’s NBA festivities, check out our preview of the Pistons vs. Suns here.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Washington Wizards Betting Preview
The Los Angeles Clippers of the last couple weeks are the ones that many expected to contend for the title this season. The Clips have won nine games in a row, and have also gone 7-2 against the spread during that stretch.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The All-Star duo of Blake Griffin and Chris Paul has been playing lights out ball. Griffin is averaging a stellar 25.7 points and nine rebounds per game during the winning streak, while Paul is averaging 17.6 points and 11 assists.
However, it’s been the excellent play from their supporting cast that’s truly driven the Clippers’ winning ways. The wing tandem of JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford are both averaging over 16 points and shooting well above 40 percent from the three-point line. Meanwhile, big man DeAndre Jordan has been dominating the paint defensively, with 14 rebounds and three blocks per game.
With all the vital pieces playing well, the Clippers offense is averaging close to 113 points with a 16-point differential per game over their nine-game run.
But their outstanding offense could encounter a tough test with a Wizards defense ranked fifth in defensive efficiency as of Dec. 11. Four of the Clippers’ five losses this season have come against teams in the top nine defensive teams in the league – the Warriors, Spurs, Bulls and Grizzlies.
Create a betting account now and ride one of the hottest teams in the NBA for all they’re worth.
Betting on the Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have won back-to-back games, but those have come by a total of just three points. The Wiz were given all they could handle by two sub-.500 teams in the Celtics and Magic. They eventually prevailed over Boston in overtime, while a game-winning Bradley Beal layup at the buzzer spared them another extra period at Orlando.
Because of those close calls, the Wiz haven’t won against the spread in their last three games.
The Wizards haven’t been getting the consistent production they’d like from their starting shooting guard, Bradley Beal. Since returning from a wrist injury suffered in the offseason, Beal’s averaging just 14 points in 12 games thus far this season, down from the 17 he was putting up last year.
Luckily, John Wall has been busy helping his backcourt mate out. Wall is averaging 18 points per game this season, while dishing out an amazing 14 assists per game since the start of December.
The Wizards’ bench has also come up huge this year with some solid production. The likes of Rasual Butler (11 points), Kevin Seraphin (six points) and Otto Porter Jr. (six points) have led a second unit ranked in the top ten in bench scoring (36 points per game). Their added offense will be crucial for the Wizards to keep up with the Clippers’ high-octane attack.
The Wizards are 10-2 at home this season, but are just 5-7 against the spread.
Writer’s Prediction
The Clippers bring their winning streak to double-digits with a win against the Wizards.
