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The Washington Wizards head to Salt Lake City to face the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
The Wizards are still hoping to make the playoffs via the backdoor. Washington is 9th in the Eastern Conference team standings and they are 3.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the final playoff spot in the East. They snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Utah Jazz have slipped in the Western Conference team standings by going 4-6 in their last 10 outings. Utah has lost its last four games played, all at home, and they are looking to get back on track with a win over Washington.
Robinson’s Heroics
The Wizards lost their first three games after the All-Star break and nearly squandered an 18-point lead against the Brooklyn Nets last Wednesday night. Thankfully, Jerome Robinson hit a late three-pointer and made two free throws that gave Washington a 110-106 win over the Nets.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 30 points. Beal had scored 53 and 55 points in his previous two games and on Wednesday night, he assisted on Robinson’s winning basket. Rui Hachimura added 17 points and four rebounds while Davis Bertans made four three-pointers and finished with 14 points. Robinson scored 9 points but he delivered the big shots that mattered.
Washington ranks 5th in the league in scoring at 115.8 points per game this season. They are the worst defensive team in the league at 119.9 points per game allowed. The Wizards are averaging 42.3 rebounds per game, 28th overall. They are 11th in the NBA in passing at 25.5 points per game this season.
Four Straight Home Losses
The Utah Jazz will look to end a four-game losing streak when they host the Wizards on Friday night. All four losses have come at home and the Jazz need to right the ship to keep their spot in the Western Conference playoff picture. In their last game played, Utah fell 103-114 to the Boston Celtics.
Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points on 15-32 shooting. Mitchell has scored 30 or more points in his last three games played. However, Mike Conley and Royce O’Neale were the only other Utah players who scored in double digits at 15 and 14 points, respectively. Joe Ingles made just two points while Bojan Bogdanovic only scored three points for Utah.
The Jazz rank 17th in scoring at 111.0 points per game this season. They are 13th off the glass with an average of 45.4 boards hauled per contest and are 27th in passing at 22.0 assists per game. Utah is ranked 9th overall in scoring defense at 108.1 points per game allowed.
Who Wins?
Washington is 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played. The Wizards are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games played against the Northwest Division. Utah is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. The Jazz are 2-5 SU in their last seven games played at home but are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the Jazz are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played against the Wizards. Utah is also 7-1 SU in their last eight home games against Washington.
The Wizards snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Washington will look to keep the momentum and they will head to Salt Lake City with confidence knowing that the Jazz have dropped four in a row at their home floor.
Utah has struggled in recent weeks but they should be able to break that skid against a team whom they have beaten eight straight times. The Jazz need to tighten up the screws on defense as they have allowed close to 120 points per game in their last four outings. If Utah returns to its defensive form, this should be an easy win for them.
I have no doubt which team to pick here. The Jazz have dominated their head to head matchup against the Wizards and they are playing at home. Washington is just 7-21 SU away from D.C. while the Jazz are 20-9 at Salt Lake City this season. Look for Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic to put up big numbers against the worst defensive team in the league.
Prediction: Utah Jazz
Other Bets to Make
The Wizards are 4-2 ATS in their last six games played. Washington is 4-2 ATS in their last six February games. The Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last five games played. Utah is 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games. Head to head, the Jazz are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games against the Wizards.
Wizards
+10.5 (-112)
Jazz
-10.5 (-108)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/28/20
The Jazz have been out of tune in recent weeks. They also have lost four straight games at home and with the season flying fast, they need to get back on track. Washington is a high-scoring team but Utah has a Top 10 defense that can stop the Wizards offense. When it comes to manpower, I don’t think that Washington is deep enough to match Utah’s firepower. Washington is 13-14-1 ATS in their last 28 road games. Utah is 14-6 ATS in their last 20 games against the Eastern Conference. This Jazz team needs to start winning again. They should have no problems against the Wizards.
Prediction: Jazz -10.5
The total has gone over in 10 out of the last 15 games played by the Wizards. The over is 6-1 in Washington’s last seven road games. The over is 4-1 in their last five games against the Western Conference. The under is 4-3 in the last seven games played by the Jazz at home, and 8-3 in their last 11 Friday games. Head to head, the total has gone under in six out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
Over
231 (-110)
Under
231 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 02/28/20
Washington is one of the highest-scoring teams in the league this season and they have the worst scoring defense in the NBA. The Wizards are even worse on the road where they allow over 123 points per game this season. Utah is one of the top defending teams in the league this season but have allowed 119.5 points per game in their last four outings. I think the Jazz are due for an explosion at home.
Prediction: Over 231
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