The Washington Wizards (35-47 SU, 33-8-2 ATS, 44-37-1 O/U) travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers (25-57 SU, 37-42-3 ATS 46-35-1 O/U) from Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday at 7pmET. This is the first regular-season game for both teams.
Last season, these teams split four games with both teams winning at home. The Wizards have covered three of the last five with one game ending as a push.
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Some teams are tanking this season (see Utah, San Antonio, Pacers) and other teams are happy to be a contender in the playoffs. Washington appears to be one of those fringe teams that will fight to make the playoffs. Now if you are looking for a future bet, the Wiz should have no problem going over 35.5 (+100). Last season, they won 35 games with All-Star guard Brad Beal playing just 40 games due to a wrist injury. They added 7-3 Kristaps Porzingis in a traded deadline deal with Dallas, who played 17 games for Washington last season. In those games without Beal, he averaged 22..1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game.
D333LON WRIGHT.
3 from deep in Q3 for @delonwright ????? pic.twitter.com/xYd13zqIW8
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 15, 2022
The Wizards also added solid point guard Monte Morris (10.5ppg career, 39% 3pt last year) from Denver, who will likely start with Beal in the backcourt. That's a solid scoring backcourt though it will struggle defensively. Enter 6-5 Delon Wright, who can play both backcourt spots and will immediately become their best defensive guard.
Washington ranked 21st in three-point shooting last season and Morris (39%) and Wright (38% last year) should help improve that mark. But what they really need is Beal (30% last year) to start making threes at a much better clip. Considering he's now at the supermax ($251M) part of his career, Washington could use a Beal at his best.
Up front, Porzingis will play center, while Kyle Kuzma (17.1ppg, 8.5rpg, 3.5apg) will start at power forward. Will Barton (14.7ppg) will likely start at small forward, though 6-8 Rui Hachimura (11.3ppg) has come on in the preseason and will see a lot o f minutes. Deni Avdija (8.4ppg, 5.2rpg) is another young player who has yet to reach his potential. He sat out the preseason due to a groin injury, but is expected to play tonight. Second-year wing Corey Kispert (8.2ppg, 35% 3pt) is expected to miss the first month with a high ankle sprain suffered in preseason.
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