NBA: Washington Wizards vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview, Odds, Prediction

Things aren’t cool for the Brooklyn Nets, who are 1-2 before their matchup with the Washington Wizards. Meanwhile, the Wizards are two and O since the start, which wasn’t expected by many fans. Wes Unseld Jr’s guys displayed some good matches, and if they keep on going like this, we just might see the team from DC in the combination for the playoffs. As for the Nets, the negative record is out of the question, even for this stage of the year, and extending the same would be very, very frustrating for both the players and the fans.

Preview

Washington Wizards (+350) had one win on the road and at home since the start. The first was in Canada against the Toronto Raptors 98-83, presenting a very confident performance on both ends of the floor. For the first time in a long period, the Wizards were pretty strong on the defensive side of the ball.

The second match, however, ended 135-134 after OT, without Bradley Beal. Now that is a huge plus for Washington, who showed that there could be life even without its biggest star. Spencer Dinwiddie dropped 34 in this roller-coaster match, and for the moment, the former Nets’ guard is the top scorer of the team.

Kyle Kuzma has amazing 13 boards per game, and in fact, he could be the X-factor for this team. The 26-year old’s consistency on both ends of the court will be crucial this season.

Brooklyn Nets (-480) have lost two matches, one against the Bucks and the second vs. Charlotte Hornets last night. We didn’t see that coming, even though the Hornets have a good and interesting team. Brooklyn was limited at 95 points, which kicked off debates about whether they could cover up Kyrie’s absence. It kind of made Kevin Durant angry, and we expect that the former MVP drops 40+ points tonight.

KD had 38 against the Hornets in 36 minutes, missing seven of his 24 shots, and adding five boards. The way he plays since the finish of the previous campaign is impressive, and it’s no wonder why Durantula sits atop all the MVP contender lists.

The problematic thing for Brooklyn was that apart from him and James Harden, who had only 15 points, there weren’t any players with double-digit figures in scoring columns. The Beard wasn’t at his level in the opening three contests, and we believe that if he pours 25+ each night with Durant in the current for, the Nets would be unbeatable.

Head to Head Games

Brooklyn won all three games during the 2020/21 season. The first was in Charlotte, 106-104, the next two in Brooklyn, 111-89 and 130-115.

Prediction

Washington is 2-0, but we believe it is time for them to lose the first game of the year. Brooklyn can’t afford to lose back-to-back games at home, plus we strongly believe that all the doubts by the media hit their ego. That will provoke some reaction in their locker room, positive ones, and that is the reason why we back up the hosts’ victory.

Pick: Nets Win