Wednesday NBA action is a six-game affair which features several games with playoff implications
The Magic and Wizards battle as both continue to enter the playoffs via the backdoor. The Warriors and Rockets square off in a showdown of Western Conference powerhouses . Miami and Detroit are also trying to knock each other out of the postseason race while the Nets and Thunder try to improve their playoff positions against each other
Let’s take a look at Wednesday games in our previews and quick picks:
The Orlando Magic take their act to the Nation’s Capital where they will take on the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
The Magic will try to snap a three game losing skid when they hit DC. Orlando has lost three out of their last four games including road losses to the eliminated Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies. The Magic trail the Miami Heat by one game for the final playoff spot in the East hence this game is very important to them.
Nikola Vucevic leads Orlando with 20.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. The high flying Aaron Gordon is their second leading scorer at 15.9 points while also adding 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross are scoring 14.7 points apiece for Orlando while D.J. Augustin leads the team in passing with 4.9 assists while also scoring 11.4 points per game.
The Magic rank 5th to the last in team scoring at just 105.8 points per game. They are also 13th in passing at 25.0 assists per game and are 20th off the glass with 44.8 rebounds per contest. Orlando is allowing their opponents to score only 106.8 points per game which is the 5th best scoring defense in the entire league.
Magic
+120
Wizzards
-140
Magic
+2.50 (-115)
Wizards
-2.50 (-105)
Magic
O 224 (-110)
Wizards
U 224 (-110)
Odds from bet365 as of 3/13/19
The Washington Wizards are running out of games to make the postseason. Washington sits at three and a half games behind the Miami Heat for the 8th spot in the East after snapping their own two-game losing skid with a home win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists on Monday night. Beal leads the Wizards in scoring with 25.8 points per game while also grabbing 5.3 rebounds, issuing 5.6 assists and recording 1.5 steals per game. Bobby Portis is fitting well since his transfer as he is averaging 16.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Trevor Ariza is also having an excellent season with 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
The Wizards are 6th in the league in team scoring at 114.6 points per game. Washington is 5th in assists with 26.8 dimes per contest and the are ranked 28th in rebounding at only 21.7 boards grabbed per contest. Washington’s scoring defense is next to last at 117.2 opponent points per game allowed.
Orlando is 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played. The Magic are 2-4 SU in their last six games played. Washington is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. The Wizards are 3-1 SU in their last four games played at home. Head to head, the Wizards are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games against the Magic.
First-time All-star Nikola Vucevic has recorded four straight double-doubles. Vucevic posted 26 points and 10 rebounds in their losing effort to the Grizzlies last Sunday. The Magic shot just 35.6% from the floor and Evan Fournier went scoreless in 14 minutes before getting ejected as Orlando fell to 13-21 when playing on the road this season.
For Washington, It’s been Bradley Beal who’s carrying the team. In their last five games, Beal has averaged 26 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.2 assists while leading the Wizards to a 3-2 SU record. Likewise, the newly acquired Jabari Parker is averaging 18 points while shooting 65.5% from the floor in the last five games.
The Wizards have beaten the Magic twice in three games this season including a 117-109 win last November 12. The Wizards are 20-12 SU at home and given Orlando’s struggles on the road and Beal playing very well in leading his team, I’m picking the Washington Wizards to beat the Orlando Magic on 3/13/19.
The Magic are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games played. Orlando is 2-4 ATS in their last six road games. The Wizards are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played. Washington is 3-1 ATS in their last four games on the road. Head to head, the Wizards are 2-1 ATS in their last three games against the Magic. Washington is also 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 home games versus Orlando.
The Magic have cooled off as of late while the Wizards have played better in their last five games. Washington has dominated this matchup at home and with better form heading to this contest, they should be able to cover the spread against the visitors.
Prediction: Wizards
The under is 6-4 in the Magic’s last 10 games played. The total has gone under in five out of their last six games on the road. The over is 7-3 in the last 10 games played by the Wizards. The total has gone over in three out of Washington’s last four games at home. Head to head, the over is 6-4 in the last 10 games between these two teams. The over is also 5-0 in the last five head to head meetings between these two teams in Washington.
The over is 5-1 in Orlando’s last six games against Southeast Division teams, 6-2 in their last eight games played on a Wednesday and 4-1 in their last five games when playing on two days rest. The over is also 4-0 in Washington’s last four Wednesday games, 4-0 in their last four home games against an opponent with a road winning percentage of below .400 and 6-2 in their last seven home games overall.
Prediction: Over
The defending champions Golden State Warriors head to Space City to test the red hot Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at the Toyota Center in Houston.
The Warriors have never looked so disinterested during their title reign. This was pretty much evident when the Dubs dropped a 111-115 home game to the 16-win Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. The Dubs shot 10-43 from behind the three point area in what is arguably their most embarrassing loss of the season.
Stephen Curry leads the Warriors with 27.9 points per game while his Splash Brother Klay Thompson is contributing a silent 22.4 points per game. Kevin Durant is scoring 27.4 points, grabbing 6.7 rebounds and handing-off 5.7 assists per game. Draymond Green is having an all-around season with 7.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game while DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 15.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game for the Dubs.
The Warriors are the #1 scoring team in the league at 118.2 points per game. The Dubs are also the NBA’s top ball-sharing team at 29.2 assists per game. Golden State is ranked 9th off the glass with an average of 46.2 rebounds per contest. Golden State is allowing 112.3 points per game which is the 19th best scoring defense in the NBA.
Warriors
N/A
Rockets
N/A
Warriors
N/A
Rockets
N/A
Warriors
N/A
Rockets
N/A
Odds not available yet
While the Warriors look out of focus, the Houston Rockets have their eyes on the prize. The Rockets’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night was their 9th consecutive victory. Houston is now knocking at the 2nd spot in the West and if they continue to play this well, they might get more than that. Interestingly, the Rockets’ nine-game winning streak started last month with a win over the Warriors at the Oracle Arena.
James Harden is the league’s top scorer at 36.2 points per game. But the NBA’s reigning MVP is also averaging 6.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game for the Rockets. Chris Paul is scoring 15.3 points and issuing a team-high 8.2 assists per game. Clint Capela is Houston’s defensive anchor with 12.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while also scoring 16.8 points per game.
Houston is ranked 12th in the league in scoring at 113.0 points per game. The Rockets are also 29th in passing with 21.0 assists per game and they are also 27th off the glass with 46.2 rebounds per contest. Houston’s scoring defense is ranked 12th in the entire NBA as they allow their opponents to score 110.2 points per game.
Golden State is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games. The Dubs are 2-3 SU in their last five games played on the road. Houston is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games played. The Rockets are 4-0 SU in their last four home games. Head to head, the Rockets are 6-4 SU in their last 10 games against the Warriors.
The Warriors will be without Kevin Durant on Wednesday in Houston as the former MVP will sit out the game with an ankle contusion which he suffered in their last game, a 111-115 loss to the lowly Phoenix Suns. The Warriors shot just 23% from behind the arc on Sunday and they need to shoot better if they are to beat the Rockets at their home floor.
For the Rockets, they got Kenneth Faried back from the injured list and the Manimal immediately made impact with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He is expected to help Houston’s offense match-up against Golden State’s awesome armada. But it won’t be offense that’s going to win this game because the Rockets have played good defense recently by allowing just 97.8 points per game.
Although the law of averages say that Houston’s 9-game winning run should end soon, the Rockets may be catching the Warriors at the right time here. Not only are the Warriors playing lackluster basketball, they are also without KD. As for Houston, they are always deadly when they are healthy.
I’m picking the Houston Rockets to beat the Golden State Warriors on 3/13/19.
The Warriors are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games played. The Dubs are 1-4 ATS in their last five games on the road. The Rockets are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games played. Houston is 2-2 ATS in their last four games at home. Head to head, the Rockets are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 meetings versus the Warriors.
Houston is 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning SU record but they are just 2-7 ATS after an SU win of more than 10 points, 2-8-1 in their last 11 Wednesday games and 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games after an ATS win. The Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games and are 0-2 ATS in their last two trips to Houston. Durant should leave a big hole in the Golden State offense. I think that hurts against a hot Houston team.
Prediction: Rockets
Golden State has seen the total go under in seven out of their last 10 games played. The total has gone under in three out of the last five road games played by the Warriors. The under is 7-3 in the Rockets’ last 10 games played. The total has gone over in 19 out of the 33 home games played by Houston this season. Head to head, the under is 8-2 in the last 10 games between the Dubs and Rockets.
The under is 5-0 in the Warriors’ last five games after allowing 100 or more points in their previous game, 6-0 in their last six games after an ATS loss and 4-0 in their last four games when their opponent allows 100 or more points in their previous game. The under is also 4-0 in the Rockets’ last four games after an ATS win and 4-0 in Houston’s last four games against Western Conference teams with a winning percentage of .600 or higher. The Warriors play better defense after a loss and the Rockets have played good defense against the elite teams. This should go under.
Prediction: Under
The Memphis Grizzlies take on the Atlanta Hawks in Wednesday night NBA action at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.
The Grizzlies may be out of playoff contention already but that hasn’t stopped the team from picking up victories. The Grizzlies are coming off a 3-0 SU three-game homestand where they defeated playoff contending teams in the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and the Orlando Magic. While their surge may not get them back in the playoff hunt, these victories are a good building block for the future.
Veteran guard Mike Conley is what is left of the Grit and Grind era and he is leading the team with 20.6 points, 6.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Jonas Valanciunas, acquired for Marc Gasol at the trade deadline, is averaging 18.5 points and 8.8 rebounds with his new team. Avery Bradley has also fit well in Memphis with 16.6 points, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
The Grizzlies rank last in the league at #30 in team scoring with their 101.6 points per game average. Memphis is 20th in passing with 23.6 assists per game and they are also second to last in rebounding at 41.0 boards per contest. However, the Grizzlies have the best scoring defense in the league as they allow their opponents to score just 103.7 points per game.
Grizzlies
-110
Hawks
-110
Grizzlies
+1 (-115)
Hawks
+1 (-105)
Grizzlies
O 221-110
Hawks
O 221-110
Odds from betonline as of 3/13/19
The Hawks are also out of the playoffs but they are also a team that continues to play games to win. However, the Hawks have been on the wrong side of close games as they are 4-6 SU since the All-Star break with all their losses coming via single digits. The Hawks just broke out of a three game losing skid with a Sunday win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
John Collins leads the young Hawks with 19.8 points an 9.8 rebounds per game. He is getting the support from rookie guard Trae Young who is averaging 18.3 points and 7.8 assists per game. Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore are also scoring 13.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game for Atlanta. DeWayne Dedmon is contributing 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
Atlanta is ranked 13th in the league in team scoring at 112.4 points per game. The Hawks are also 9th in passing at 25.5 assists per game and they are also #12 in rebounding at 45.9 boards hauled per contest. Defensively, the Hawks have the worst scoring defense in the league at 118.7 points per game allowed.
Memphis is 5-5 SU in their last 10 games played. The Grizzlies are 1-3 SU in their last four games on the road. The Hawks are 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. Atlanta is 3-4 SU in their last seven home games played. Head to head, The Grizzlies are 3-1 SU in their last four meetings against the Hawks.
The Grizzlies have several new faces on their team and are using the remainder of the season to build on the future. As early as now, we’ve seen good chemistry between Mike Conley, Jonas Valanciunas and Avery Bradley. The Grizzlies have been playing better and that’s all they could ask for in closing out their 2018-19 campaign.
The Hawks have also found their building blocks for the future with John Collins and Trae Young playing very well together after the All-Star break. With their young duo leading them, the Hawks have been more competitive lately than they were at the start of the season. That hasn’t translated to wins though as their six losses since the All-Star break have been by single digits.
The Grizzlies are 10-23 SU on the road while the Hawks are just 12-21 SU at home. Memphis won their only other game of the season by 14 points but that game was played in Memphis. The Grizzlies have continued to struggle on the road at 2-5 SU in their last seven and the Hawks should take advantage of that.
I’m picking the Atlanta Hawks to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on 3/13/19.
The Grizzlies are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Memphis is 2-2 ATS in their last four road games. The Hawks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played. Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in their last seven games at home. Head to head, the Hawks are 2-1 ATS in their last three games against the Grizzlies.
Memphis is 6-14 ATS in their last 20 games on the road,10-3 in their last 13 games when playing on two days rest and 5-0 ATS in their last five games played overall. Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against the West, 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. No question Memphis has played better since the All-Star break but they still haven’t found the winning formula on the road. The Grizzlies have lost five of their last seven road games by an average margin of 4.9 points per game. The home team has taken six out of the last head to head meetings between these teams.
Prediction: Hawks -1
The under is 5-2 in Memphis’ last seven games played. The total has gone under in 22 out of the 33 road games played by the Grizzlies this season. The over is 6-4 in the Hawks’ last 10 games played. Atlanta has seen the total go over in 18 out of their 33 home games played this season.
Memphis’ games are almost always low-scoring because they play a slow paced game. As a result, the Grizzlies are last in scoring and first in defense. But this should be an exception because Atlanta owns the worst scoring defense in the entire NBA. These teams combined for 248 points in their previous meeting because of that. I think this one is going to be no different.
Prediction: Over 221
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