Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks Prediction, Preview, and Odds

Two teams from the Southeast Division faceoff on Wednesday night when the Washington Wizards (1-2, 1-2 ATS) travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks (2-2, 2-2 ATS). The Wizards just dropped a home game to the Celtics, going down 126-107, failing to cover as 10.5-point underdogs. The Hawks are coming off a home win, defeating the Timberwolves 127-112 as 2-point home dogs. The Hawks took three out of four matchups against the Wizards last season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 EST from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

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Wizards Start Slow

The Washington Wizards just took on the Boston Celtics, but got off to a slow start and were never able to catch up. The Celtics got out to a 42-19 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Washington coach Wes Unseld Jr. said after the game, “Obviously, first quarter, game over. We played on our heels most of that quarter.” The Wizards were led by Kyle Kuzma with 21 points and five rebounds in the loss.

Kuzma is leading the team in scoring through the early part of the season. He is averaging 22.3 PPG to go with 6.7 RPG. Jordan Poole will have some great moments, and some head-scratching moments this season. Against Boston, one of his failed shot attempts went viral as he attempted a behind the back, step back three in transition, which subsequently got blocked. Poole is averaging 18.7 PPG in his new role with the Wizards. The top shooter on the team has been Corey Kispert, he comes off the bench to add 14.0 PPG and is knocking down three triples per game. Tyus Jones is the starting point guard, he adds another 13.7 PPG and leads the team with 6.7 APG.

Daniel Gafford is an athletic center that can finish at the rim, but is unlikely to fill up a stat sheet in categories other than rebounds. Gafford averages exactly eight rebounds and points per game. Deni Avidja starts on the wing, but the coaching staff will have to decide if they want to keep the lineup the same, or send him to the bench in favor of Kispert. Washington is playing at the fastest pace in the league according to dunksandthrees.com, averaging 106.3 possessions per game.

Injury Report:

Day-to-Day: Daniel Gafford, he did not play against Boston with an ankle injury

Out: Landry Shamet

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Murray Ties Career High with 41

The Atlanta Hawks trailed the Timberwolves by 19 at halftime, before Dejounte Murray took over the second half and finished with 41 points in the win. Murray had 22 points in the third quarter alone as the Minnesota defense could not stop him. Atlanta coach Quinn Snyder talked about the performance after the game saying, “Obviously, DJ had that stretch where he put us on his back. He made all kind of plays and I really liked his spirit." The Hawks have won their last two games, as they also defeated the Bucks in Milwaukee.

Murray is now tied with Trae Young for the team lead in scoring, as each member of the backcourt is averaging 21.3 PPG. Murray is the bigger guard, and averages more rebounds with 4.3 per game, while Young is a better playmaker and is averaging 10.0 APG. De'Andre Hunter is a wing defender who is improving his offensive game, he averages 16.8 PPG this season and is averaging 2.3 made threes per game. The top shooter on the team comes off the bench, Bogdan Bogdanovic is averaging 12.0 PPG and is adding 2.8 triples per game.

Clint Capela starts on the inside and is a better version of Washington's Daniel Gafford, as Capela is averaging 10.5 PPG and 10.8 RPG. The other starting spot has been split between Saddiq Bey and Jalen Johnson, with Johnson getting the most recent starts. The Hawks are tied for the 8th fastest pace in the NBA, averaging 102.5 possessions per game.

Injury Report:

Out: Wesley Matthews

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Best Bets for this Game

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Rating:

I will need to see something change in Washington before I can start backing them again. They were getting ten points at home against the Celtics, and it never felt like they had a chance to cover. Poole can score, but he needs to work on his shot selection if he is going to be the top option on the team. Being the top scoring threat also means the defense will focus on you the most; it's easy to score when Steph Curry is your teammate, but in Washington things will change. Poole is only shooting 21.7% on his threes, and 38.5% on field goals, this is not sustainable. Atlanta also has a lockdown defender in their backcourt that is coming off a 41-point game. Dejounte Murray will matchup with Poole, and create problems all day. Atlanta has the advantage inside as Capela is better than Gafford. The Wizards should be playing Kispert more, but they haven't made that change yet. Lastly, Trae Young is not the type of player to watch someone else drop 40, then stay quiet. Watch for Trae to try to get his in this game, and put up big numbers in a Hawks win.

Take the Hawks to cover.

Prediction: Hawks -8

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The Wizards play at the fastest tempo in the league so far in the early season. They look for quick threes from Poole, Kuzma, Kispert or any of their shooters. They only average 13.7 seconds per offensive possession, 6th fastest in the league according to dunksandthrees.com. They amount to the fastest tempo in the league because their opponents only need 13.5 seconds per possession, third fastest in the league. This happens because Washington is gambling, or giving up quick and easy buckets. Either strategy won't work against an Atlanta backcourt with two All-Stars in it. Atlanta shoots the ball in 13.3 seconds per possession, another very quick number. The analytics in this one point to an over, as not many possessions will reach the end of the shot clock.

Take the over.

Prediction: Over 239.5

Paul has been a sports fan his entire life, and was an All-Conference basketball player at The University of Scranton. He is currently a high school basketball coach and a mathematics teacher with a Master’s in Business Administration. This unique combination gives Paul the ability to find mismatches from a coach’s perspective while having the ability to analyze statistical data to spot advantages. Paul will provide you with an array of statistics, trends, and analytics to prepare for any match-up. Follow Paul for up-to-date analysis and all your betting needs. We are thrilled to have Paul on our team.