Washington Wizards are unbeaten in the past 6 games at home ground. They perform extremely well when playing in front of their own fans, whereas away games seem to be their weak spot. Looking at Wizards past 5 games, they won 3 and lost 2. They were able to defeat Clippers (117:110), Bulls (97:107) and Bucks (107:102), whereas Pacers (107:105) and Bucks (123:96) proven to be too strong for Washington. On Tuesday, Wizards played Bucks in a rematch after being beaten at BMO Bradley Center in Milwaukee 3 days prior. The first match ended strongly one sided, as Bucks won 123:96, but Washington were able to get their revenge at home ground (107:102). The margin is significantly smaller compared to last H2H between these two teams, but being able to defeat a team that has won by 27 points 3 day prior is a strong indicator how well Washington play at home. Against Bucks we could see Porter leading the score line (32pts), followed by Beal (22pts) and Antetokounmpo (22pts). Washington shot 50.6% from the field, committed 17 turnovers and stole the ball 7 times. Bucks on the other hand shot 47.1% from the field with 13 turnovers and 8 steals.
Pacers have already tested the water against Washington this season, on 20th of December to be precise, and they walked away with a close win (107:105). However, looking at their form recently, Pacers are not in a good position as they lost all of their last 3 games. Indiana Pacers failed to win over Knicks (118:111), Celtics (102:109) and Bulls (90:85). Their away record at the moment is something they cannot be proud of, as they won only 1 game out of last 6 played. Pacers just seem to not be able to find their rhythm when playing on the road and this might be a problem tonight. The recent match against Bulls ended in 90:85, with Pacers trailing by 9 from the end of the 1st quarter and they were not able to close the margin. Indiana shot 42% from the field, committed 16 turnovers and got 5 steals. Bulls shot 38.6% from the field, committed 12 turnovers and stole the ball 10 times. Top scorers were; Wade (21pts), Mirotic (20pts) and Brooks (19pts).
Verdict & Prediction
Pacers continue to disappoint with their poor performances, especially in their recent games. I believe they have got a talent, but sadly they fail to utilise it. Tonight they are going against a very strong home team and I am sure Wizards will cause a lot of problems to Pacers. Another loss for the visiting side is most likely to happen.
Prediction: Washington Wizards -4.5
Odds: 1.93 Pinnacle
You can also check out another betting preview for tomorrow’s Alpine Skiing race : Women’s Slalom – Semmering 2016
