After breaking a four-game losing streak, the Washington Wizards hit the road to face the Atlanta Hawks. It’s been tough sledding for the Wiz in away games this season – Washington is 4-12 SU and ATS in 16 road games – but they beat up on the Hawks 10 days ago at State Farm Arena with a 14-point win. The Hawks, on the other hand, have the worst record in the NBA at 6-23 SU and have dropped seven of their last eight games.
- The Wizards are ranked 29th in points allowed per game.
- The Hawks are 11-18 ATS in 29 games this season.
- The OVER has hit in 5 of the Hawks’ last 7 games.
Wizards’ Defense is Non-Existent
SF Trevor Ariza can’t make his debut fast enough for the Wizards. Washington’s defense has been atrocious all season, ranking 29th in the NBA in points allowed per game (116.9), 24th in opponent field-goal percentage (47.2 percent) and 28th in opponent three-point percentage (36.9 percent). During the Wizards’ recent four-game losing streak, teams were scoring an average of 120 points per game on them before they held the Lakers to 110 points.
Wizards backers have definitely felt the pinch on their bankroll when banking on them in road games as the Wiz are an ugly 4-12 SU and ATS in 16 road games this season. Dating back to last season, they are 5-22 ATS in their last 27 games away from Capital One Arena.
I know I basically just detailed why the Wizards are a horrible road bet lately but I’m not fading them tonight in this matchup because of how awful the Hawks are. The Wiz already went into State Farm Arena and beat this team handily just 10 days ago. In an attempt to choose between two bad teams, go with the one that actually has all-stars on it.
Hawks Are the Worst Team in the NBA
That may seem like an overreaction with the Suns and Bulls in the same league but at 6-23 SU the Hawks are the main tenant in the NBA basement. The Hawks give up 119.3 points per game (last in the league) and their defense on the perimeter is laughable as they’re allowing 38 percent from three-point range on 34.4 attempts.
The Trae Young trade during the NBA draft in June will likely define the next five years of Atlanta’s franchise as the Hawks rolled the dice on Young to be the next Stephen Curry. Well, he’s got a long way to go as he’s averaging 15.4 points per game and he’s shooting an abominable 24.1 percent from three-point territory on just under six attempts per game.
At 11-18 ATS and failing to cover in six of their last eight games, the Hawks are prime fade candidates in this matchup. With them already getting smoked by 14 points by the Wiz, who have a horrible road record, I can’t endorse Atlanta in any way, shape or form.
Poor Defenses Could Lead to Massive OVER
The total opened at 233.5 (since moved to 235.5) and with the way these two teams play defense, a huge scoring game could be in the cards. These two squads rank as the bottom two teams in the NBA in points allowed per game while they both average over 110 points per game on offense. The OVER has hit in five of the Hawks’ last seven games with an average combined score of 236.1 points per game.
My Pick Is…
To go with the Wizards moneyline and play it safe. I don’t want to bank on the Wizards to cover and I damn sure am not backing the Hawks. The total is a little too high for me to trust that these offenses will execute properly, so stick with the safe wager and save yourself some stress.
