The Brooklyn Nets (29-25) head to the nation’s capital to play the Washington Wizards (24-29) Thursday. Tip-off at Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Nets at Wizards odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Washington is 1-8 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) over its past nine games including back-to-back losses to the Suns (95-80 Saturday) and the Heat (121-100 Monday).
Brooklyn has lost nine consecutive games (1-7-1 ATS). Each of the last three losses were by 20 points or more (Jazz 125-102 Friday, Nuggets 124-104 Sunday and the Celtics 126-91 Tuesday).
The Nets are 2-0 SU and ATS in their first two meetings with the Wizards this season and the total is 1-1 Over/Under (O/U).
Nets at Wizards odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:49 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Nets +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Wizards -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Nets +2.5 (-107) | Wizards -2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: 217.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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Nets at Wizards key injuries
Nets
- C LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) out
- PF Nic Claxton (hamstring) questionable
- PF Kevin Durant (knee) out
- SG James Harden (hamstring) out
Wizards
- SG Bradley Beal (wrist) out
- C Daniel Gafford (health and safety protocols) out
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Nets at Wizards odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Wizards 120, Nets 105
Money line
LEAN to the WIZARDS (-145) only because I’m confident enough in them to lay the points but wouldn’t mind a bet on their money line (ML).
Both teams have been playing awful lately. In fact, the only team with a worse net rating than the Wizards over the past nine games has been the Nets.
But Washington’s losses are more excusable since it has less top-tier talent and the Wizards have played a murderer’s row of opponents recently.
Here are Washington’s past five opponents with their net ratings in parentheses: Miami (tied fourth), Phoenix (tied first), Philly (tied ninth), Milwaukee (tied fourth) and Memphis (third).
Furthermore, I give the Wizards a massive motivation edge. Washington PG Spencer Dinwiddie was a former Net who was traded to the Wizards so Brooklyn could avoid paying more luxury tax.
Dinwiddie should be excited to kick the Nets while they are down.
Also, Washington needs this game more than Brooklyn. The Wizards are 1.5 games back of the Hawks for the 10th, the final play-in seed in a competitive East.
The bottom line is this Nets thing stinks and the Wizards are playing the only team performing worse than them at home.
Against the spread
BET WIZARDS -2.5 (-115) for 1.25 units unless you take Washington’s ML.
The ATS trends for both teams are ugly but they are far worse for the Nets. During its 9-game losing streak, Brooklyn has the worst ATS margin in the NBA (minus-9.1), according to CleaningTheGlass.com (CTG).
Plus, Nets PG Kyrie Irving isn’t a player that can be the leader of a winning team. When he is on the floor without Harden or KD this season, Brooklyn is outscored by 3.3 points per 100 possessions and has the worst rebounding rate in the Association.
GIMME the WIZARDS -2.5 (-115).
Over/Under
Slight “lean” to the OVER 217.5 (-115) for a tiny wager, if at all, because I much prefer the Washington side.
However, Brooklyn can’t play any defense and has the worst defensive-rebounding rate over the last nine games. Washington SF Kyle Kuzma and C Montrezl Harrel crash the glass and can get easy second-chance points in this matchup.
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