The Washington Wizards and the Portland Trail Blazers are headed in completely opposite directions. The Wizards have won four of their last six, while the Blazers have won just one game of their past six contests. Will the Wizards pile even more misery on the struggling Blazers? Read on as we give a complete preview of this intriguing game.
Looking for more exciting hoops action to satisfy your betting thirst? Check out our previews for the Pistons vs. Bucks and Thunder vs. Hawks games.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Washington Wizards vs. Portland Trail Blazers Preview
Where: Moda Center, Portland
When: Saturday, January 24, 10:00 PM ET
Line: Washington Wizards at Portland Trail Blazers – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Washington Wizards
All of the Washington Wizards’ starters scored in double-digits on Wednesday. However, their combined effort was not enough as the Wizards dropped a 105-103 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Nene Hilario was sharp in that game scoring a team-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Meanwhile, John Wall did his best to direct Washington’s offense with 18 points and 13 assists. Moving the ball around to find the open man may be more difficult for Wall in this game. Portland has allowed only 17.8 assists per home game this season (second in the league).
The key for this game will be for Washington to give the ball to their big men inside the paint. Portland is currently missing three of its big men, most notable of which is LaMarcus Aldridge, who leads the Blazers with 23.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The absence of Aldridge opens up Washington’s Marcin Gortat to dominate the shaded area. He has averaged 12 points and 8.8 rebounds in his last five games. Gortat should also be able to keep the depleted Blazers frontcourt from attacking the basket. He has averaged a team-high 1.4 blocks per game.
The Wizards are 3-1 SU/ATS in their last four games against Portland.
Think the Wizards blowout the struggling Blazers? Create a betting account now and put your pick to the test.
Betting on the Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are on quite a tailspin. They’ve lost five of their last six games (1-5 ATS), and will now be without their leading scorer in Aldridge for 6-8 weeks due to a thumb injury.
The Blazers now turn to point guard Damian Lillard to lead their offense. Lillard has averaged 22.2 points and 5.8 assists over the past five games. He’ll have some support from his running mate in Wesley Matthews, who has hit 6-of-13 three-point attempts over his last two games.
Matthews’ three-point shooting should be a solid point of attack for Portland in this game. The Wizards have allowed opponents to shoot 38 percent from three-point range away from home (25th in the league).
The hot-and-cold Nicolas Batum may also offer the Blazers another option on the attack. After finishing with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting (6-for-8 from downtown) and 10 rebounds in a 118-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, he went 0-for-6 the following day in a 90-89 loss to the struggling Boston Celtics. Considering the Blazers catch Batum on a good day, then he should be able to help lift the scoring burden from Lillard.
Writer’s Prediction
The Wizards win and cover at Portland.
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