The Washington Wizards (4-22) travel to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5) on Monday, December 23rd. This game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City and televised on MNMT. The Thunder are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Wizards are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wizards. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Wizards vs Thunder

The Wizards Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Wizards fell to 4-22 on the season after a 112-101 loss to the Bucks on Saturday. Washington entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 213 points fell short of the 218.5-point line.

After a 36-36 tie in the 1st quarter, the Bucks went on a 14-0 run, extending their lead from 48-44 to 62-44. Washington struggled in the 2nd quarter, scoring just 14 points to Milwaukee’s 27. The Wizards outscored the Bucks 29-26 in the 4th quarter but couldn’t close the gap after trailing 86-72 going into the final period.

The Thunder Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Thunder improved to 22-5 on the season with a 104-97 road win over the Heat on Friday. Oklahoma City, favored by -1, covered the spread, while the game’s total of 201 points fell short of the 217-point O/U line.

Miami’s 12-0 run turned a 58-51 deficit into a 63-58 lead, but the Thunder responded by outscoring the Heat 31-23 in the 3rd quarter. They entered the 4th with an 81-70 lead and held on despite being outscored 27-23 in the final period.

Wizards Offense Breakdown

In their 112-101 loss to the Bucks, the Wizards hit 18 threes, shooting 42.9% from deep. Overall, they shot 44.4% from the field.

Jordan Poole knocked down 8 threes at a 61.5% clip, finishing with 26 points, including 16 in the 1st quarter. Bilal Coulibaly added 20 points and 12 rebounds, scoring 9 points in the 4th quarter.

Thunder Offense Breakdown

Jalen Williams led the Thunder to a win over the Heat, scoring 33 points and hitting 4 threes at 57.1% from deep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 25 points, while Luguentz Dort chipped in 14 points, making 4 threes at 80% efficiency. As a team, the Thunder connected on 14 threes, shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc, though their overall field goal percentage was 45.3%.

Williams was key in the 4th quarter, scoring 13 points, while Gilgeous-Alexander also added 13 points in the 3rd. Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 6 of his 13 points in the final period.

Wizards Team Defense

Despite a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter, where they allowed just 23 points, the Wizards couldn’t overcome a tough 1st quarter, giving up 36 points in their 112-101 loss to the Bucks. Washington held Milwaukee to 44% shooting overall but struggled to contain them from beyond the arc.

The Bucks hit 20 threes on 41% shooting. The Wizards did well to keep Milwaukee off the free-throw line, where the Bucks went just 4/5. Washington also recorded 7 steals and 4 blocks in the game.

Thunder Team Defense

Despite a strong defensive effort in the 3rd quarter, where they held the Bucks to just 23 points, the Wizards couldn’t overcome a rough 1st quarter, giving up 36 points in a 112-101 loss. Washington allowed Milwaukee to shoot 44% from the field.

The Wizards struggled to defend the three-point line, allowing the Bucks to hit 20 threes on 41% shooting. Washington sent Milwaukee to the free-throw line just 5 times, where they made 4. The Wizards finished with 7 steals and 4 blocks.

Wizards vs Thunder Trends

• Across their five previous road games, Washington has an ATS mark of 2-2-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-5 while averaging 102 points per game.
• Across their last five home contests, Oklahoma City has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 114 points per game.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Wizards have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Oklahoma City has an ATS mark of 7-3 while going 9-1 straight up.

Wizards vs Thunder Prediction

The Wizards come in as the underdog at +18, 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.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 223.5 and given that our model is projecting 254 points between the teams, we like the over.

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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.