The Washington Wizards host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in the nation's capital. Washington is playing its best basketball of the season, winning five straight games, and the Wizards are aiming to make the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards also won the first matchup against the Warriors. Golden State is playing well, improving to 29-29 this season with a 5-1 record in the last six contests. Eric Paschall (hip), James Wiseman (knee) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (concussion) are out for Golden State, with Damion Lee (toe) listed as questionable. Washington will be without Rui Hachimura (knee) and Thomas Bryant (knee) for Wednesday's contest.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Warriors as two-point road favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 240 in the latest Warriors vs. Wizards odds. Before you make any Wizards vs. Warriors picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it has returned over $9,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,200 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 18 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 96-60 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Warriors vs. Wizards. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Wizards vs. Warriors:
- Warriors vs. Wizards spread: Warriors -2
- Warriors vs. Wizards over-under: 240 points
- Warriors vs. Wizards money line: Warriors -130, Wizards +110
- GS: The Warriors are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games
- WAS: The Wizards are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Warriors can cover
Golden State is known for offense, dating back to its title-winning days, but the Warriors are an excellent defensive team this season. They rank No. 7 in the NBA in defensive rating, giving up just 109.9 points per 100 possessions, and Golden State has strengths across the board. The Warriors are No. 6 in effective field goal percentage allowed (52.6 percent), headlined by a top-five mark in two-point shooting allowed (51.3 percent). Golden State is also very strong in creating turnovers, forcing a turnover on 14.9 percent of possessions and ranking in the top-10 in steals at 8.2 per game.
Golden State should also be able to hold up on the defensive glass against a Wizards team that currently ranks second-worst in the NBA in offensive rebounding, securing only 23.7 percent of their own missed shots. From there, Golden State's offense, led by a league-leading assist mark (27.1 per game), can play freely against a middling Wizards defense.
Why the Wizards can cover
Washington is playing its best basketball of the season, winning seven of the last eight games and holding opponents to fewer than 1.08 points per possession during that stretch. The Wizards are above-average at forcing turnovers, creating a giveaway on 13.9 percent of defensive possessions, and they are also above-average on the defensive glass, snatching almost 74 percent of available rebounds. The Warriors are the NBA's worst offensive rebounding team, and they are also below-average in taking care of the ball, committing a turnover on 14.5 percent of possessions.
Offensively, Washington's No. 1 attribute is free throw creation, ranking No. 3 in the league in getting to the line. In contrast, the Warriors are second-worst in the NBA in preventing free throw attempts, and Golden State is also just 24th in the league in defensive rebound rate (72.4 percent).
How to make Wizards vs. Warriors picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 237 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Wizards? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
