The Denver Nuggets host a Washington Wizards team Thursday that has been playing surprisingly well over the last week or so. Prior to losing to Los Angeles on Tuesday, Washington had won five in a row, with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal both playing well.
Will Scott Brooks’ group get right back into the win column tonight? You’ll find out in our picks and predictions for Wizards vs. Nuggets on February 25. This game will be played at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, so it’s important to factor that in.
Washington Wizards at Denver Nuggets betting preview
Injuries
Wizards: Thomas Bryant C (Out).
Nuggets: Paul Millsap F (Out), Gary Harris G (Out), JaMychal Green F (Out), PJ Dozier G (Out) .
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Wizards are 5-1 ATS in their last six games. Find more NBA betting trends for Wizards vs. Nuggets.
NBA sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonDenver opened -7 at FanDuel and spent the overnight hours at -7.5, then dipped to -6.5 this morning, but quickly rebounded to -7.5, where the line stuck all day and remains at 6:30 p.m. ET. However, Washington is seeing the modest majority of action, at 55 percent of bets and 53 percent of money on the spread. The total initially moved from 237 to 236, then rebounded to 238.5, and it's now 238, with 55 percent of bets/66 percent of cash on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameAgainst the spread (ATS) pick
The Nuggets have won two of their last three games coming into this one, but the Wizards have played well, too. Washington had won five in a row - and covered in all of them - before losing to a very good Los Angeles Clippers team on Tuesday.
The Wizards have one of the worst defenses in all of basketball, but they had the 12th-best defensive rating in the NBA over the last six games. With the way their offense goes, just making a leap like that would be significant enough for them to play some solid basketball, as evidenced by their results in the last week. Whether or not to buy into the improvement is the issue, but Washington is facing a depleted Denver team in this one. Sure, Nikola Jokic is going to put up some monstrous numbers, and Jamal Murray is a threat to go off as well. But if the Wizards can contain guys like Will Barton and Michael Porter Jr., they can absolutely keep this game close.
Also, Denver needs to find a way to contain Russell Westbrook and All-Star Bradley Beal in this game, which is no easy task. Westbrook has been putting up his usual nightly triple-doubles, and Beal continues to score at an impressive clip. They should be able to get to this Nuggets defense, especially with no Harris to defend the perimeter.
PREDICTION: Wizards +7.0 (-110)
Over/Under pick
The last time these two teams met was on February 17, and the final score was 130-128. That definitely leans more into the Over in this one, but the Wizards are about to play for the fourth time in six nights and that should factor in on how they approach this game. They aren’t currently ready to sit anybody for rest, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if Washington decides to slow things down a bit.
The Nuggets have really started to play well offensively as of late, and it just isn’t going to benefit the Wizards to push the pace and turn this thing into a shootout. And while Washington doesn’t have the personnel to lock down and defend, it should be able to do enough to keep this game in the 110s, as opposed to the 120s.
PREDICTION: Under 237.5 (-110)
Player prop pick
Westbrook had recorded three consecutive triple-doubles before falling one assist shy in a win over the Lakers, and then he was one rebound short in the loss to the Clippers the following game. One of those triple-doubles came against these same Nuggets he'll face tonight. The usage is there for Westbrook, who is now looking more comfortable with his new team than he did early in the season.
Also, for as much hate as Westbrook gets with his triple-doubles, his teams have historically won at a high clip when he does record them. So, it's definitely top of mind for him, whether or not it’s for the right reasons. And these odds are just too enticing for something that has been happening with regularity.
PREDICTION: Russell Westbrook To Record A Triple-Double (+200)
Wizards vs Nuggets betting card
- Wizards +7.0 (-110)
- Under 237.5 (-110)
- Russell Westbrook To Record A Triple-Double (+200)
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