Portland heads east for a late-January visit to Washington against the Wizards. Both teams are dealing with losing streaks heading into this contest, with the Blazers losing two games in a row and the Wizards losing four straight. Here, I break down this battle of struggling NBA teams and give you my Trail Blazers vs Wizards prediction in the NBA.
Our Trail Blazers vs Wizards Pick
Pick: PWizards +7.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Portland Trail Blazers @ Washington Wizards
Date & Time: Tuesday, January 27, 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Key Storylines
Form guide: Portland is a game below .500 and has lost two straight games, while Washington has dropped 9 of its last 10 and four straight contests. But something has to give in this game, as one of these teams will get out of Washington with a win on Tuesday night.
Star turns: Deni Avdija has emerged as Portland’s lead scorer at 26 points per game, but he is questionable for this game with a back injury. For Washington, Alex Sarr paces the hosts in scoring and boards. He also helps their rim protection immensely and will be key in any success the Wizards have.
Injuries and availability: Portland has listed Deni Avdija as a game-time decision, with Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray sidelined. Washington’s injury report has Khris Middleton and Bilal Coulibaly both listed as questionable for this contest.
Defense vs threes: Portland has upped its three-point volume and accuracy this month, while Washington’s perimeter defense has been vulnerable all season long. The Blazers will try to take advantage of the porous defense of the Wizards here.
Schedule spot: The Wizards return home after a road loss in Charlotte and open a homestand, while Portland is on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in Boston on Monday.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
This is the first of two regular-season meetings between the Wizards and Trail Blazers.
Portland is 26-20 against the spread this season.
The Wizards come into this game with an 18-26 record against the spread for the year.
The Trail Blazers are 23-23 in the over/under market going into this contest.
Washington is 22-22 on over/unders this year.
Trail Blazers vs Wizards Model Projection
Score Projection: Portland 118 – Washington 115
Win Probability: Portland 64%, Washington 36%
Final Thoughts
There is a lot of chaos on both rosters going into this matchup. We could see the top players for both teams sit out, or we could see them play. I'm going to take the points with the Wizards in this matchup, as they should compete against a Trail Blazers team that is on the second game of a back-to-back and dealing with some major travel-related adversity.
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