Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers Betting Preview

A huge game will be taking place in Indiana on Saturday as the Wizards and Pacers meet. The winner of this one will hold the #9 seed in the East, while the loser drops to #10. The significance of that is getting the chance to host the play-in game. And the Bulls, unlikely to get into the play-in, can chase the loser down if things get worse.

Washington has gone 14-4 in their past 18 games after starting the season with a 17-32 record. They never gave up on things, continuing to persist, their star point guard reminding the world of what he can do. Russell Westbrook has been incredible to watch in DC this year and is now just one triple-double away from tying the Big O for the most all-time. Huge game for the Wiz.

The Pacers might be having more problems than any other NBA team right now. The star players want the coach fired. Said coach doesn’t have the respect of anybody on his own team. Indy is an absolute mess right now and continues to lose games as they deal with injuries. Things may be very different here next year, but for now, all they can do is try and win. But, a toxic coach situation is unbearable for everyone involved.

ODDS

The spread for Saturday night favors the visiting Wizards, -3.5. The over/under is set at 248 points.

Wizards Seeking Critical Road Win

If the Wizards can win a game in Indiana on Saturday, it would give them a possible chance to host them in less than two weeks at the beginning of the play-in. The winner of their game would travel to face the loser of the #7 vs #8 matchup in a win-or-go-home showdown. The recent efforts of the Wizards would say the team is in good shape.

For so long, the conversation was about getting Bradley Beal out of DC. But now, he and Westbrook have settled in to form one of the toughest duos to stop in the league. He’s scoring the ball at will. The only issue is that they are 2-15 in the last 17 games in which he has scored over 40.

The upstart Wizards seek a big win over a struggling team.

Pacers Look for Big Victory

Even with all the dysfunction, Indiana does have a good team. They’ve got Caris LeVert and an All-Star in Domantas Sabonis. And though he has missed some time of late, Malcolm Brogdon is a tremendous talent at the guard position. You’ve got a bucket-getter in Doug McDermott, too. Not having Myles Turner has killed their defense, though.

Oshae Brissett has been a great addition this year, making plays on both ends of the floor. He has served as an athletic shot-blocker and has shown an ability to be able to make shots. But clearly, his contributions have no correlation to whether or not the team can win.

LeVert will need to outscore Beal, while the team needs to find a recipe to keep Westbrook from dominating if they want a win.

WIZARDS WIN

The Wizards will claim the victory in Indy in a game broadcast on NBATV. A huge win for them, moving them into #9.

FREE PLAY: WIZ -3.5
OVER/UNDER: OVER 248