NBA: OKC Thunder vs Washington Wizards Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Oklahoma City Thunder travel to DC to meet the inconsistent Washington Wizards. Both teams haven’t been in some particularly great form lately, which is why they need to post a win here and gain some confidence. The hosts are after a playoff spot in the East, and they have to triumph in games like this one. As for the OKC, they are still in a rebuild, and this will be yet another season without any competitive meaning. However, the four-game losing skid they are currently on isn’t very pleasant for the players or their fans.

Preview

OKC Thunder (13-26, +310) lost the past for as said earlier. The first one was against Dallas at home, then in Minnesota, then against the Timberwolves at home, before missing a perfect chance to snap that negative skid vs. Denver Nuggets. That contest ended 99-95 in favor of the guests.

The Thunder was constantly behind, but they managed to come back in the final period and even take the lead in the finish. However, OKC didn’t have any composure or focus in the clutch situations, allowing Jokic and the boys to get away with a victory. Boards were the problem for the Thunder, because Nuggets had 53, twelve more than the hosts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had only eight points in this game, shooting 2-for-14 in 31 minutes. The top scorer was Lugentz Dort with 14 buckets, while Jeremiah Robinson-Earl ended the night with 12. The rookie Josh Giddey had 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, proving his fantastic talent once again.

Washington Wizards (20-20, -400) posted mixed results lately, winning two of the latest five events. Wes Unseld Jr’s boys lost to the Bulls twice and the Rockets while beating the Hornets and the Magic.

The event in Florida ended 102-100, for the guests from the capital. They would rally back in the fourth quarter to win an extremely important match, and keep themselves in the race for the postseason. Kyle Kuzma was the key figure in this event, with the former Laker scoring 27 points and grabbing a career-high 22 rebounds.

His improvement in this area has been marvelous this year, and the Wizards hit the jackpot with Kuz. Bradley Beal is slowly getting back in his rhythm, having 20 points, seven assists, and six boards, while KCP ended with 14 buckets. Spencer Dinwiddie had eight points, but 10 assists.

Head to Head Games

This season’s first game took place a couple of days before the New Year. The Wizards were better in Oklahoma City, posting a tight but valuable win, 101-99. Beal and Caldwell-Pope had 20 points each, while on the other side, Dort had 21.

Prediction

The Wizards are better than OKC, and not just that – they play at home, which is an additional reason for us to suggest their comfortable win in this contest. After having a turbulent period during which Unseld couldn’t count on all of his players, the Wizards are slowly completing their roster. Meanwhile, the Thunder is not looking good, even though some might think they don’t have such catastrophic results. Therefore, hosts’ win here is our choice.

Pick: Wizards

Here is the preview for the Suns vs. Raptors game.