The Oklahoma City Thunder (23-11) travel to face off against the Washington Wizards (6-29) on Monday, January 8th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena. Both the Thunder and Wizards will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Thunder vs Wizards

The Thunder Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Thunder will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Nets with a final score of 124-115. Besides losing the game outright, the Thunder also fell short against the spread, failing to cover as -5.5 point favorites. The over/under line for this matchup was set at 234.5 points, and the teams managed to exceed that total.

Coming into today’s game vs. the Wizards, the Thunder have a 23-11 overall record, putting them above .500. In their 34 games, the Thunder have gone 14-8 against teams from the Western Conference and 9-3 in non-conference games.

Oklahoma City possesses an ATS record of 24-10 for this season, including their ongoing two game losing streak against the spread. In their four most recent home games, Oklahoma City has covered the spread and they are 14-5 ATS at home compared to 10-5 on the road.

The Wizards Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Wizards’ most recent game versus the Knicks saw Kyle Kuzma lead the Wizards with 27 points while shooting 10/21 from the field. While Deni Avdija was 2nd on the team with 23 points, Washington fell short in the game with a final score of 121-105.

Coming into today’s game vs. the Thunder, the Wizards are heavy underdogs (+11.5) and are hoping to pick up a win. In non-conference play, the Wizards are 2-5 and have gone 4-24 against Eastern Conference teams. Overall, their record is 6-29.

Washington currently has an ATS record below .500, sitting at 15-20 at this point. In their last three road games, Washington has been unable to cover the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 11-9 on the road as opposed to 4-11 at home.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

The Oklahoma City offense will take the floor in today’s game with the league’s 4th ranked offense at 121.8 points per game. In terms of pace, the Thunder are one of the top units in the NBA, averaging 100.1 possessions per game. Oklahoma City has been effective on offense due to the fact that they not only play an up-tempo style, but they have one of the best effective field goal percentages in the league at 57%.

Wizards Offense Breakdown

Through 35 games games, Washington is averaging 115.1 points per game (15th). So far, Washington is averaging 102.7 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Not only is the team ranked near the top of the league in possessions, but this fast-paced style has translated to an increased number of made shots, as they are 7th in the league in made field goals per game.

Thunder Team Defense

On defense, the Thunder come into the game ranked 15th in the league in points allowed at 114.2 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 129.3 points per contest (27th). In their previous game, the Thunder’s defense struggled against the Nets, giving up 124 points on a field goal percentage of 53%.

Wizards Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Wizards will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 126.1 points per game (30th). The Washington defense has allowed opponents to shoot 37.9% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 50.4% of their field goal attempts vs. Washington.

Key Players For The Thunder And Wizards

For today’s matchup, we project Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead the scoring for the Thunder, putting up 29 points and shooting at a rate of 10/19. During this season, he is delivering an average of 31.5 points per game, along with 6 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Kyle Kuzma as the leading scorer for the Wizards. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 21 while also collecting 6 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 46.4%, and his scoring average is 22.6 points per game.

Thunder vs Wizards Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Thunder have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 120 points per game in these contests.
• Through their last five home contests, the Wizards offense has averaged 111 points per game while allowing an average of 128. Washington posted an overall record of 1-4 while going 2-3 ATS.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Wizards have a straight up record of 1-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Thunder have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 2-1.

 

Thunder vs Wizards Prediction

 

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Thunder vs. Wizards game, our recommendation is to take the Wizards at +11.5. Despite our model showing the Thunder winning 116-112, we like Wizards as our point-spread pick.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 247, and our model projects the Thunder and Wizards to reach a combined total of 228 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.