The Washington Wizards (4-22) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (7-19) on Thursday, December 21st. This game will be played at Moda Center. The Trail Blazers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Wizards are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Suns. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Wizards vs Trail Blazers

The Wizards Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Most recently, the Wizards lost to the Kings with a final score of 143-131. In the face of their straight-up loss, the Wizards did coverthe spread as +14 point underdogs. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 251.5 points in which the two teams surpassed.

As they look to take on the Trail Blazers, the Wizards have a sub-.500 record of 4-22. In road games, the Wizards are 2-14 compared to a 2-8 record at home.

The Wizards have successfully covered the spread in their last three games and hold an overall ATS record of 12-14. In their last two road games, Washington has successfully covered the spread, and they hold an ATS record of 10-6 on the road in contrast to 2-8 at home.

The Trail Blazers Are Coming Off A Win

The Trail Blazers beat the Suns in their most recent game, ending with a score of 109-104. Despite trailing at halftime by a score of 61-49, the Trail Blazers picked up the win.

When looking at their overall record of 7-19, the Trail Blazers are 3-15 against Western Conference opponents and 4-4 in non-conference games. In their last three games, the Trail Blazers are 1-2 and have gone 3-15 against other teams from the Western Conference.

Portland arrives with an ATS record of 13-13 for the season up to this point. Portland has covered the spread in two straight home games and are 4-8 ATS at home compared to 9-5 on the road.

Wizards Offense Breakdown

Leading up to today’s matchup, the Wizards are one of the NBA’s top offenses, averaging 117 points per game (10th). When looking at the Wizards pace of play, they tend to play an up-tempo style of basketball. So far, the team is in the upper half of the NBA in possessions per game, averaging 103.5. 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%.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

In 26 games games, Portland has an average of 107.7 points per game (29th). So far, the Trail Blazers are averaging 98.4 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Their slower style of play has created fewer offensive opportunities, leading to them being ranked 29th in fields goals made per contest.

Wizards Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Wizards’ defense is giving up an average of 126.8 points per game. So far, they have given up more points than the NBA league average in 80.8% of their games.

In the terms of takeaways, Wizards are causing 13.8 turnovers per game, ranking 21st in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 17th in rejections, averaging 5.1 blocked shots each game.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

In terms of defense, Trail Blazers is currently on par with the NBA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 114.2 points per game.

The Portland defense has allowed opponents to shoot 32.6% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 48.8% of their field goal attempts vs. Portland.

Key Players For The Wizards And Trail Blazers

In today’s game, our projections have Kyle Kuzma leading the Wizards with 20 points on 7/15 shooting from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 23.2 points per game, along with 6 rebounds.

On the flip side, our predictions place Anfernee Simons as the leading scorer for the Trail Blazers. We expect him to conclude the game with a team-high 15 while also collecting 2 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 44.3%, and he is contributing 25.4 points per game on average.

Wizards vs Trail Blazers Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Washington has an ATS mark of 7-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-9 while averaging 115 points per game.
• Portland has a 0-3 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 115 points per game while allowing 120. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Wizards have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
• Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Portland has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.

 

Wizards vs Trail Blazers Prediction

 

The Wizards come in as the underdog at +3.5, 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 total, the line is currently sitting at 240.5 and our model has the Wizards and Trail Blazers finishing with a combined 217 points. Our pick is to take 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.