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The Washington Wizards head to the Phillips Center to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday 12/18/18 as the NBA regular season continues.
The Wizards snapped out of a four game losing streak by beating the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Like the Wizards, the Atlanta Hawks are 1-4 SU in their last five games but the Hawks have lost three in a row heading to this one.
Waiting For Ariza
The Wizards made the big move of the week when they traded for veteran swingman Trevor Ariza from the Phoenix Suns. In exchange, the Wizards parted with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers. Ariza is expected to give the Wizards the must needed boost in defense and three point shooting.
Washington is the 10th best scoring team in the league at 112.8 points per game. The Wizards also rank 12th in assists at 24.7 dimes per contest. Washington’s 40.5 rebounds though ranks only 28th off the glass with an average of 40.5 rebounds per game. On defense, they are even worse as they rank second to the last in points allowed at 116.9 points per game.
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks 12/18/18
Moneyline Odds: Wizards -180, Hawks +160
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/18/18
Worst In The East
The Atlanta Hawks have the worst record in the Eastern Conference and have the second worst record in the entire league at .007 percentage points behind the Phoenix. Atlanta enters this game having lost three games in a row and overall, they have lost seven out of their last eight games played.
Atlanta scores an average of 108.5 points per game which is 22nd overall in the entire league. The Hawks are 9th in assists at 25.2 and Atlanta is ranked 23rd in rebounding with their 43.4 average. Defensively, the Hawks have the worst scoring defense team in the NBA, allowing 119.3 points per game.
Who Wins?
These teams have played in a total of 299 regular season games. The Hawks lead the series 153-146 but Washington has won six out of the last eight meetings. The Wizards beat the Hawks 131-117 in Atlanta during their first meeting of the current season.
Washington is 1-4 SU in their last five games played and the Wizards are 4-12 SU on the road this season. The Hawks are 1-4 SU in their last five games played and Atlanta is 4-9 SU at home this season. Head to head, the Wizards are 6-4 SU in their last 10 meetings.
These are two teams below the .500 mark right now and two teams that are out of playoff position. But if the Hawks are probably looking forward to lottery positioning, the Wizards are still thinking about the playoffs. Washington traded for Trevor Ariza last week to provide them with some of their needs. Ariza is no savior but he is probable to play on Tuesday and he should give the Wizards a shot in the arm in defense and three point shooting. John Wall is coming off a 40-point explosion and the Wizards may be just waking up from a slumber. Washington has played poorly on the road but so have the Hawks at home. When you talk about recent form, it’s obvious that Washington has the edge here.
We’re picking the Washington Wizards to beat the Atlanta Hawks on 12/18/18.
Other Bets To Make
The Wizards are 12-18 ATS in 30 games played this season. Washington is 4-12 ATS in 16 road games played so far. The Hawks are 11-18 ATS this season and are 4-9 ATS in their 13 home games played this season. Head to head, the Wizards are 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings against the Hawks.
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks 12/18/18
Spread Odds: Wizards -4.5 (-105), Hawks +4.5 (-115)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/18/18
The Wizards are 3-0 ATS in their last three December games as favorites by 4.5 points or less. The Hawks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games. Washington is riding high on their win over the Lakers, John Wall is coming off his best game of the season and Washington may be playing Trevor Ariza here. On the other hand, the Hawks have won just once in their last 8 games.
Prediction: Wizards -4.5
The over is 19-11 in Washington’s 30 games played this season. The total has also gone over in nine out of the 16 road games played by the Wizards. The over is 17-12 in Atlanta’s 29 games played this season. The total has gone over in eight out of the 13 home games played by the Hawks so far.
Washington Wizards vs Atlanta Hawks 12/18/1
Over/Under Odds: Over 235.5 -110, Under 235.5 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/18/18
The Wizards have averaged 117.33 points per game in their last six games and the Hawks are averaging 112.67 points over that period. That’s a total of 230 points already and they played different opponents. When you match up the team with the worst and next to worst scoring defense in the league, you bet they’ll top 230 very easily. 235.5? Just as easy.
Prediction: Over 235.5
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