Wizards vs. Suns Pick
Are the host Phoenix Suns going to survive their first test without the injured Devin Booker tonight when they play the Washington Wizards at 9PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Wizards are a 7-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is 213 points.
Washington comes into action with a 13-11 overall record and 13-11 ATS after a 106-92 win at the Trail Blazers. Phoenix is 9-17 overall and 12-13-1 ATS following a 126-113 loss at the Raptors. The Suns won the first meeting this season by a score of 122-118 in Washington on Nov. 1. The Wizards are 2-1 straight up in three meetings since the start of last season, but Phoenix is 3-0 ATS. The over is 2-1.
In the win at Portland, Bradley Beal shrugged off a few recent underwhelming performances to erupt for a career-high 51 points. He shot 21-of-37 from the floor, 5-of-12 from 3-point range, pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 14 points, five steals, two rebounds and two assists off the bench. Mike Scott added 10 points and seven boards off the bench. The Wizards led 51-37 at halftime.
Phoenix lost Booker to an abductor strain late in the loss at Toronto and he’s expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks. He is pouring in 24.3 points per game, so needless to say his offense will be sorely missed by the Suns. He had a team-high 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals at the time of the injury. Alex Len tallied 14 points and seven boards off the bench. Josh Jackson had 13 points and two assists off the bench. Troy Daniels added 13 points and two rebounds off the bench. The Suns trailed 96-79 through three quarters of play.
Washington is 2-7 ATS in the last nine meetings in Phoenix. The under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Phoenix.
The Suns will be hard-pressed to replace the production of Booker. TJ Warren, who was ejected in the third quarter at Toronto, takes over as the go-to player in the Phoenix offense. Look for perhaps Greg Monroe to have an expanded role considering he has good scoring ability, although the Suns defense always takes a hit when he is on the floor. Regardless, the Suns face a Wizards team tonight that perhaps still wants to get the bad taste of the blowout loss at Utah out of their system even after the win at Portland. Expect the hosts to struggle without their star and Beal to once again have a big night.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: WASHINGTON WIZARDS -7