The Washington Wizards (6-26) travel to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-15) on Wednesday, January 3rd. This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Both the Wizards and Cavaliers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Wizards vs Cavaliers

The Wizards Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Wizards will look to bounce back from a defeat in their last game, losing to the Hawks with a final score of 130-126. Despite trailing at halftime by a score of 70-58, the Wizards picked up the win.

So far this season, the Wizards are 6-26 and will have to bring their A-game to have a chance at winning as they are +9.5 point underdogs. In their 32 games, the Wizards are 4-21 against Eastern Conference teams and 2-5 in non-conference games.

So far, Washington is below .500 in their ATS record, currently standing at 15-17. On the road, the Wizards have an ATS record of 11-7, as opposed to a 4-10 record against the spread when playing at home.

The Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent game, the Cavaliers fell to the Raptors by a score of 124-121. The Cavaliers turned the game around and came out on top, despite being in a trailing position at halftime with 67-59.

Coming into today’s matchup vs. the Wizards, the Cavaliers are looking to stay above .500. So far, they are 18-15 and are currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. In the Central division, they hold the 3rd spot.

Cleveland’s ATS record sits below .500 (15-16). The Cavaliers maintain an ATS record of 8-6 on the road, while they have a 7-10 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

Wizards Offense Breakdown

The Wizards arrive for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top offensive teams, scoring an average of 116.7 points per game (11th). So far, Washington is averaging 103.2 possessions per game, making them one of the more up-tempo teams in the league. Washington excels on offense, while playing at an up-temp pace and their outstanding effective field goal percentage, which is one of the best in the league at 55%.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Through 33 games the Cavaliers are averaging 112.3 points per contest, placing them 24th in the NBA. Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.4 made 3’s per game. If the Cleveland offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 13.3 turnovers per game.

Wizards Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Wizards’ defense is giving up an average of 126.2 points per game. So far, they have given up more points than the NBA league average in 81.2% of their games. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Wizards are forcing 13.4 per game, which is 20th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 15th in blocked shots at 5.2 per game.

Cavaliers Team Defense

So far, the Cavaliers’ defense is ranked 11th in the league at 112.4 points per contest. In their previous game, the Cavaliers’ defense struggled against the Raptors, giving up 124 points on a field goal percentage of 48%.

Key Players For The Wizards And Cavaliers

Our projections for today’s game indicate that Kyle Kuzma will be the primary scorer for the Wizards, with 20 points and going 8/17 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 23.1 points per game, in addition to 6.2 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Donovan Mitchell to be the top scorer for the Cavaliers. Our projection has him finishing the game with 28, and he is expected to secure 5 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 45.7% and is averaging 27.9 points per contest.

Wizards vs Cavaliers Trends

• When looking at their past five road matchups, Washington has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 115 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
• Across their last three home contests, Cleveland has been good against the spread posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 114 points per game.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Wizards have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Cleveland has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games.

 

Wizards vs Cavaliers Prediction

 

The Wizards come in as the underdog at +9.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 239.5, and our model projects the Wizards and Cavaliers to reach a combined total of 222 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.