*NBA(2u): Wizards ML(-115) vs Raptors–7:10 PM CT
I only make 2u plays when all the stars align for one particular side. Luckily, that’s exactly what we’re getting with the Wizards tonight. Washington has been at home for more than a week; tonight will be their 6th game of an 8 game home stand. On the other hand, tonight wraps up a 5 game road trip for the Raptors before they’ll travel back to Canada. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam have played over 40 minutes in EACH of the last 4 games for Toronto(all on the road); those include tough games against the Bucks, Heat, and Mavs. I respect Nick Nurse for going “all in” this early in the season, but that approach also has consequences. The Raptors being on the road for the past week only hurts their chances in this one. Washington is 3-2 on their current home stand and coming off a narrow loss to the Nets on Wednesday. As important, this Wizards squad doesn’t have one guy on the injury report. Washington ranks 7th in defensive efficiency over their past 3 games, while Toronto ranks 24th in offensive efficiency over that same stretch. This is truly an “all stars aligned” kind of spot; I’m going heavy on the Wizards to win this outright tonight.
*NBA(1u): Hawks ML(-120) vs Heat–6:40 PM CT
The Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. After dominating at home last season and making a deep playoff run, this team sits at just 19-25 on the season. However, they enter this game off of impressive home wins against the Bucks and T-Wolves and should be poised to keep things rolling tonight. These teams squared off twice just last week, with Miami nabbing wins in both games. I’m going to go out on a limb and say I have a hard time seeing the Heat beating this Hawks team 3 times in the span of 10 days, especially given some of the attrition on the Miami side. Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro will both be missed in this game; while Lowry isn’t flashy, he is a true point guard who continues to lead winning teams. Herro, on the other hand, is a volume shooter who gives the Heat a streaky scoring option. With Bam Adebayo still not back at his peak form, I don’t expect Miami to look too sharp tonight. I’ll trust that the Hawks carry the momentum from their prior 2 games into tonight. If Atlanta can’t win in this spot, then they are truly doomed.
