Tag: Washington Wizards

The night LeBron James scored 57 points against the Washington Wizards

Remembering the night LeBron James scored 57 points against the Washington Wizards as his Los Angeles Lakers get set to meet Washington tonight in L.A.

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to welcome the Washington Wizards tonight for a chance to move to 17-2 on the young season. The Lakers are favored by double-digits in the contest and expected to make short work of the 6-10 Wizards who continue to play without their injured All-Star point guard, John Wall. But while this year’s version of LeBron James will enter the game leading the league in assists, it was only two years ago this month that James exploded for one of the most prolific scoring nights of his NBA career.

On November 3, 2017, LeBron scored the second-most points he ever has in a game when he hung 57 on the Wizards during a 130-122 Cleveland Cavaliers victory. James shot 23-of-34 from the field, connected on all nine free throws, and made 2-of-4 triples to finish with a game-high scoring effort only bested by the 61 points he totaled in 2014 against the Charlotte Hornets. LeBron would also collect 11 rebounds, dish out seven assists and snag three steals during the historic effort.

LeBron scored in a variety of ways that night against the Wizards. He backed down Bradley Beal for a bully-ball bankshot off the left block. He caught backdoor passes for reverse layups at the rim from teammates like Jeff Green. He stripped Kelly Oubre Jr. on the defensive end to create transition buckets and knocked down triples when big men like Martin Gortat switched out onto him behind the arc. King James was simply a movie that night, providing one of the most remarkable scoring efforts he’s ever offered the NBA community.

“Every shot that I took, I felt like it was going in,” LeBron told The Associated Press after the game.

That night against Washington–after scoring a career high 61 in 2014–James scored one more point than he did against the Toronto Raptors in 2005 (56 points) and two more points than he scored against the Milwaukee Bucks in 2009 (55 points). LeBron’s 52-point effort in 2005 against the Bucks currently rounds out the five highest-scoring games of his 17-year career.

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Lakers back home to host Wizards who have NBA’s No. 2 offense

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are back home where they host a great offensive basketball team in the Washington Wizards.

After capping off their longest road trip so far this season with a win in an emotional spot for Anthony Davis over the New Orleans Pelicans to earn their ninth straight, the Los Angeles Lakers are back home to host a very interesting Washington Wizards squad, who also played a part in Davis joining the Lakers.

Before we discuss the connection to the Davis trade, the most interesting thing about this Wizards team is their incredible offensive performance this season. According to Basketball-Reference, the Wizards have the No. 2 ranked offense in the NBA. While they’ve been led by their star Bradley Beal, they have five other players averaging 12 points or more.

One of those five other players is former Lakers big man Mo Wagner, who was sent to Washington with Isaac Bonga as part of the Davis trade. In addition to Wagner, there’s tons of former Lakers making an impact in Washington including starting center Thomas Bryant and while Isaiah Thomas has worked his way into the team’s starting line-up.

Despite their offense, they’re just on the outside of the East playoff picture because they have the league’s worst defense. They aren’t a very good rebounding team and they foul a lot, in addition to playing at a top-four pace.

In sum, the Lakers could find themselves in a tough game if they have a turkey hangover on the defensive end because this Scott Brooks’ Wizards squad can fill it up with the best of them.

Washington Wizards at Denver Nuggets odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Tuesday’s Washington Wizards at Denver Nuggets sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Washington Wizards (5-9) face the Denver Nuggets (12-3) Tuesday night with tip-off coming just after 9 pm ET at Pepsi Center. We analyze the Wizards-Nuggets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Wizards at Nuggets: Key injuries

Wizards

  • C Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) out

Nuggets

  • C Bol Bol (foot) out

Wizards at Nuggets: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Nuggets 118, Wizards 112

Moneyline (ML)

The Nuggets have won nine of their last 10 games and face a Washington team which has lost six of its previous 10. The Wizards allow a lot of points — particularly during the second halves of games which should allow Denver to push through with a win.

Our pick is with the NUGGETS (-455), albeit at a chalky price.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Denver returns a profit of only $2.20 with an outright win.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

Washington is 5-1-1 against the spread on the road and covers by nearly seven points per contest. Denver is only 4-5 ATS at home and fails to cover by 1.2 points per game.

Back WASHINGTON (+10.5, -129). The Wizards can keep this a close game with their ability to produce points in bunches.

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected total is set at 225.5. The Wizards are the key here. They allow just over 120 points per game while scoring 119.1. Also, Washington is seventh in possessions per game at 107.4 and tied for sixth on the road. It will be close but the OVER (-121) is the better play as the Wizards will drive the pace.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Washington Wizards (4-8) host the Charlotte Hornets (6-9) Friday at Capital One Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Hornets-Wizards odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Hornets at Wizards: Key injuries

Wizards

  • C Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) out

Hornets at Wizards: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Wizards 123, Hornets 114

Moneyline (ML)

The WIZARDS (-278) are a safe choice Friday with both teams largely unaffected by injury and able to use their full lineups. Washington is coming off a 138-132 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday and is 2-3 at home. Charlotte is 3-5 on the road and is coming off consecutive losses to the Toronto Raptors (132-96) and Brooklyn Nets (101-91), both of which were on the road.

Both teams enter off a rest day, further allowing them to use their best players as much as possible. The Hornets’ average point differential of minus-7.9 ranks second-worst in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards are minus-1.4, but they score nearly 15 more points than the Hornets on average.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wizards to win outright returns a profit of $3.60.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Save yourself some money on the required investment and back the WIZARDS (-5.5, -129) with the points. They’ll need to win by six or more for the same $10 bet to fetch a reward of $7.75.

Washington is 8-3 ATS overall and 3-2 on home court. The Hornets are 8-7 overall and 5-3 on the road. The Wizards rank fifth in the NBA with a pace of 105.08 possessions per game while the Hornets are just 23rd at 100.17 average possessions. Washington will be able to pull away late to cover comfortably.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total of 232.5 is the highest on Friday’s slate, but we’re still taking the OVER (-129). The Wizards are the only team in the Association allowing more than 120 points per game (121.1) and only the Milwaukee Bucks are scoring more than Washington’s 119.7 PPG. The Wiz are 7-4-1 against the O/U and top the projections by an average of 12.5 points per game.

Charlotte is 7-8 against the O/U while falling an average of 1.7 points shy of the number, but the Hornets are far from a defensive juggernaut (112.8 PPG allowed) and will need to play up to Washington’s pace.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NBA betting record: 34-38

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Spurs-Wizards odds: San Antonio a slight road favorite

Previewing Wednesday’s San Antonio Spurs at Washington Wizards sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Washington Wizards (3-7) entertain the San Antonio Spurs (5-9) Wednesday at Capital One Arena for a 7 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Spurs-Wizards odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Spurs at Wizards: Key injuries

Spurs

  • PG Derrick White (foot) out

Wizards

  • SG Jordan McRae (illness) questionable

Spurs at Wizards: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Wizards 107, Spurs 104

Moneyline (ML)

The +115 line for the WIZARDS is intriguing as they can keep games close and San Antonio appears to not be able to close games out in the fourth quarter.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wizards to win outright returns a profit of only $11.50.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

An equally good play would be backing the WIZARDS on the spread of +1.5 points with +105 odds. A Washington cover here (lose by one point or win outright) returns a $10.50 profit.

Washington is only 2-2 against the spread at home and is nearly six points below projections, but San Antonio just cannot close out games. This should help out the cover for the home side.

Over/Under (O/U)

Our pick is the UNDER 237.5 (-115). Watch the number a little bit but this is a solid bet. Few would be surprised if this was a bit more of a defensive struggle than most think. If the number slips to -110, that is even better.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 45-30

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Spurs-Wizards odds: San Antonio a slight road favorite

The Washington Wizard s (3-7) entertain the San Antonio Spurs (5-9) Wednesday at Capital One Arena for a 7 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Spurs-Wizards odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup. Place a legal sports bet on …

The Washington Wizards (3-7) entertain the San Antonio Spurs (5-9) Wednesday at Capital One Arena for a 7 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Spurs-Wizards odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Spurs at Wizards: Key injuries

Spurs

  • PG Derrick White (foot) out

Wizards

  • SG Jordan McRae (illness) questionable

Spurs at Wizards: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Wizards 107, Spurs 104

Moneyline (ML)

The +115 line for the WIZARDS is intriguing as they can keep games close and San Antonio appears to not be able to close games out in the fourth quarter.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Wizards to win outright returns a profit of only $11.50.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

An equally good play would be backing the WIZARDS on the spread of +1.5 points with +105 odds. A Washington cover here (lose by one point or win outright) returns a $10.50 profit.

Washington is only 2-2 against the spread at home and is nearly six points below projections, but San Antonio just cannot close out games. This should help out the cover for the home side.

Over/Under (O/U)

Our pick is the UNDER237.5 ( -115). Watch the number a little bit but this is a solid bet. Few would be surprised if this was a bit more of a defensive struggle than most think. If the number slips to -110, that is even better.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 45-30

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Wizards-Magic odds: Orlando laying 7.5 points

Previewing Sunday’s Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks

The Washington Wizards (3-7) visit the Orlando Magic (5-7) Sunday at the Amway Center for a 6 p.m. ET start.

We analyze the Wizards-Magic odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Wizards at Magic: Key injuries

Wizards

  • C Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) out

Magic

  • PF Jonathan Isaac (ankle) questionable

Wizards at Magic: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 6:20 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Magic 109, Wizards 104

Moneyline (ML)

The -295 line for the MAGIC is interesting given the fact that Orlando plays low-scoring basketball and close games.

Can Orlando slow down Washington enough? The answer appears to be “yes” as the Magic are one of a handful of teams that hold opponents to under 100 points a game this season.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Magic to win outright returns a profit of only $3.39.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The slightly better play for this game is taking the WIZARDS +7.5 points at -121 odds. A Washington cover here (lose by seven points or less) returns a greater profit of $8.26.

Washington is 4-1-1 on the road against the spread which is one of the better numbers out there. Orlando is only 1-3 ATS at home and falls 2.5 points per game below the cover line. Washington covers by nearly eight points a contest away from home.

Over/Under (O/U)

Lean more to the UNDER 220.5 (+105). Watch the number here as it will depend on who places how much money on the Over or Under. The O/U was as high as 222.5 Friday night. The expectation is that there may be a little bit more movement before it settles just below 220.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 38-25

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Wizards’ Moritz Wagner leads NBA in charges drawn so far this season

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA Draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Washington Wizards received Moritz Wagner, a first-rounder in the 2018 NBA draft, for pennies on the dollar from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wagner had a career-best performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. The 22-year-old became the first reserve to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game since Yao Ming in November 2002.

The most notable takeaway from his first stretch with the Wizards thus far, however, has been his prowess for drawing charing fouls. Wagner, who was on the other end of a controversial charge call while playing for Michigan in 2016, knows exactly how devastating such a foul can be for an opponent.

Washington coach Scott Brooks, meanwhile, recently told Candace Buckner just how important this has been to their identity (via ESPN):

“Mo is willing to get there. He puts himself in those positions. He’s thinking ahead of the play and that’s what we have to do as a defensive team.”

After 10 games, he has been on the receiving end of a league-best 10 charges thus far – including three against the Timberwolves. In fact, there was even a fourth called that was overturned and ruled a block.

His current mark would be tied for 16th-best among all NBA teams, meaning he has personally earned more charges than approximately half of the squads around the league.

Wagner, who does not play starter minutes for his team, is averaging 1.9 charges per 36 minutes for the Wizards. That is by far the best in a season from a player (minimum: 100 minutes) since NBA.com began tracking this particular hustle stat during the 2016-17 season.

For context: the big man recorded just two charges the entire season as a rookie for the Lakers. It has been a remarkable change of pace and something valued by Washington.

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Wizards-Timberwolves odds: Minnesota an easy favorite at home

Previewing Friday’s Washington Wizards at Minnesota Timberwolves sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Washington Wizards (2-7) visit the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-4) Friday at Target Center for an 8 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Wizards-Timberwolves odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Wizards at Timberwolves: Key injuries

Wizards

  • C Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) out

Timberwolves

  • PG Jeff Teague (illness) probable
  • PG Shabazz Napier (hamstring) doubtful
  • PF Jordan Bell (shoulder) questionable

Wizards at Timberwolves: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Timberwolves 123, Wizards 114

Moneyline (ML)

The -278 line for the home TIMBERWOLVES seems reasonable given that Minnesota is 3-2 at home and Washington is just 1-4 on the road.

Washington (+220) has an average scoring margin of minus-4.4 points per game and the Wizards just allowed 140 points to the Boston Celtics Wednesday night.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the TIMBERWOLVES to win outright returns a profit of $3.60. It’s chalky, but it’s better than trying to win with Washington.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The TIMBERWOLVES (-6.5, -115) is the play here. A Minnesota cover (win by seven or more points) returns a profit of $8.70.

Washington is 3-1-1 against the spread on the road and covers the spread by 3.8 points per game while Minnesota is 2-2-1 ATS at home and falls below the cover line by 2.2 points per contest. That is a bit concerning but Washington’s lack of defense eases that some. Take Minnesota and spot the points.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over/Under is set at 236.5. With the way Washington is allowing points, take a slight risk and bet the OVER (-129) Friday night. Minnesota yields over 116.2 points per game on its own.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 34-21

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Wizards-Celtics odds: Boston a large home favorite

Previewing Wednesday’s Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Washington Wizards (2-6) visit the Boston Celtics (8-1) Wednesday at TD Garden for a 7:30 p.m. ET start. We analyze the Wizards-Celtics odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Wizards at Celtics: Key injuries

Celtics

  • SF Gordon Hayward (hand) out
  • C Enes Kanter (knee) questionable
  • PF Daniel Theis (finger) doubtful

Wizards at Celtics: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 9:00 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Celtics 119, Wizards 103

Moneyline (ML)

The -400 line for the home CELTICS seems of little concern as Boston has won eight straight games. That includes a 4-0 mark in Boston with several convincing wins.

It is unlikely the Wizards can win with a +310 line and 1-3 road record. Washington has an average scoring margin of minus-4.1 points per game.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the CELTICS to win outright returns a profit of $2.50. It’s very chalky, but it’s better than trying to win with Washington.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The CELTICS -9.5 (+100) is the play here. A Boston cover (win by 10 or more points) returns a profit of $10.

Washington is 3-1 against the spread on the road and covers the spread by 4.8 points per game while Boston is 3-1 ATS at home and covers by 4.5 points per game. Washington has the ability to stay close but Boston has the shooting to put this game away.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over/Under is set at 224.5 (O: -106, U: -115). With Washington allowing nearly 118 points per game, the lean is to side on the Under as the Wizards likely struggle to get to 105. AVOID.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Chris’ NBA betting record: 30-18

Follow @ChrisWasselDFS and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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