Jazz vs Wizards Picks: Can Wiz Cover Double-Digit Spread at Home?

Washington point guard has picked up his play recently, averaging 24.5 points and 10.9 assists per game over his last 10 contests, heading into Thursday's matchup with the Utah Jazz.

Mar 18, 2021 • 10:01 ET
Russell Westbrook Washington Wizards NBA
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

After a big win over the Boston Celtics, the Utah Jazz look to get right back to it with a road game against the Washington Wizards.

As heavy NBA betting underdogs, does Washington have any chance at gutting one out against Utah? Find out below, as we give our free Jazz vs. Wizards picks and predictions for Thursday, March 18 at Capital One Arena, with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Utah Jazz at Washington Wizards betting preview

Injuries

Jazz: Udoka Azubuike C (Out).
Wizards: Raul Neto G  (Questionable), Ish Smith G (Out), Thomas Bryant C (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Over is 4-1 in Washington’s last five games. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Wizards.

Covers Writer Icon

NBA sharp money and line movement report

By Patrick Everson

Utah hit TwinSpires' odds board as a 10-point favorite and got out to -12, and the line is -11 at 5:30 p.m. ET. The Jazz are taking 57 percent of tickets and 59 percent of money on the spread. The total is up to 238.5 from a 236 opener, with 82 percent of tickets/76 percent of money on the Over.

Check out the full line movement for this game

Against the spread (ATS) pick

The Wizards lost on a last-second shot by De’Aaron Fox last night, so they will definitely be a bit demoralized when they take the floor here. However, they are also facing one of the best teams in basketball, and with players like Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal, one would think that the team will rise to the occasion in this one.

And in order to cover in this game, there’s a pretty low bar for what "rising to the occasion" actually means. As long as Washington doesn’t get blown out in this one, the team will likely be okay considering how lofty this spread is. 

For as good as the Jazz are, they have turned in a couple of duds lately. Before beating Boston, Utah had failed to cover in five of its previous six games and the team had really struggled to get stops in those contests.

Sure, the Jazz looked to have figured that problem out against the Celtics, but Boston isn’t a good team right now. And overall, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if the Jazz had a little trouble containing Westbrook and Beal here. That would be especially true if somebody like Davis Bertans or Rui Hachimura – who is averaging 22.7 points per game over his last three – steps it up for the Wiz.

Washington has one of the five worst defensive ratings in the league this season, but the team is 18th in the NBA in defensive rating over the last 10 games. That’s not exactly a massive improvement, but it’s been enough to make the Wizards competitive—and they should be just that tonight.

PREDICTION: Wizards +11.5 (-110)

Over/Under pick

The Over has hit in four of the Wizards' last five games, and they now face a Utah team that is deadly from behind the three-point line.

The Jazz do occasionally go cold but it’d be surprising if they just flat-out struggle in this one, as they’ll see a lot of open looks and should be able to take advantage. However, the same also goes for the Wizards.

Utah is just 19th in the NBA in defensive rating over the last 10 games, so this is also a team that isn’t getting a lot of stops at the moment. Westbrook is going to push the pace and find his teammates some open looks, and Beal is going to do what he does best and score the basketball.

PREDICTION: Over 236.5 (-110)

Player prop pick

Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in two of the last three games, and he now faces a Jazz team that sits atop the Western Conference standings.

Westbrook generally goes extra hard when facing the league’s top teams, so expect a motivated version of him in this one. He has been shooting 42.9 percent from the outside in March, so the points should come easily.

The same goes for assists, as he’s averaging 12.2 per game in that span. The only question mark is whether or not he has enough rebounds, but he knows he’ll be needed on the glass against Rudy Gobert.

PREDICTION: Russell Westbrook To Record a Triple-Double (+265)

Jazz vs Wizards betting card

  • Wizards +11.5 (-110)
  • Over 236.5 (-110)
  • Russell Westbrook To Record a Triple-Double (+265)
NBA parlays

Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Jazz vs. Wizards picks, you could win $123.03 on a $10 bet?

Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.

Where can I bet on the NBA?

You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best sportsbooks for NBA betting in your area.

Pages related to this topic

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting
Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo