Washington Wizards Travel to New York to Face the Knicks

Both the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks are outside of the top ten in the East. Interestingly enough, this is a game between the No.11 and No.12 teams in the conference.

With playoff hopes on the horizon, the Wizards need to get their act together quickly. They’ve lost multiple games in a row, and things are looking bleak, especially against Barrett and the Knicks.

The New York Knicks haven’t been incredible lately either, losing two games in a row. However, they have had some notable wins under their belt recently as well. If they can recapture some of this magic, the Knicks should be able to pull off a win here.

If they don’t, the Wizards could pull further away from them in the standings. So, between these teams, who should you take?

Game Preview: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks March 18th

The Washington Wizards average 108.3 points per game, ranking 21st in the NBA. Their offense is clearly an issue and one of the reasons they’ve been unable to win lately.

However, the offense isn’t solely to blame for their shortcomings. Their defense allows over 111 points per game, making it even tougher on their offense. This could be a problem as they face the Knicks.

New York doesn’t have a great offense, but they have two really strong scorers. Both RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are two players that can put up a lot of points. The interior of the Wizards is a lackluster group, and Julius Randle should take advantage of this.

On average, Randle is putting up 20.5 points per game. We expect him to have much better output in Friday night’s game. 

Washington Wizards at New York Knicks Betting Prediction

These two teams faced off on December 24th, 2021, and the Wizards came out on top. Surprisingly enough, the Wizards were able to pull off a 124-117 victory.

However, there is one big stipulation in this game; the Wizards weren’t dealing with as many injuries. Because of this and their interior defense, we think the New York Knicks are the team to win this game.

Depending on how large the spread is, they’ll also be the best pick against the spread. If the Knicks come in as over five-point favorites, we’d take the Wizards. If it’s under, or the Knicks are the underdog, we’d take New York.

This game is likely to stay pretty close, considering both teams are very similar. Still, the Knicks have a slight edge in this game, so take New York. 

The total in this one is tough because both defenses and offenses have their faults. However, most of their games have gone over the total instead of under. The Knicks, however, have the NBA’s eighth-best defense and are at home, so we’ll take the under in this game.

* All odds 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.