NBA Betting Picks: Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers

In every NBA season there’s a few teams that end up as a profound disappointment. Sometime this is a result of unrealistic expectations based on an overachieving record the season before. In other cases, however, the problems go much deeper. Such is the case with the Washington Wizards. The Wizards have reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons but they’re going in the wrong direction. In 2016-2017, the Wiz went 49-33 finishing in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. More impressively, perhaps, is the fact that they were just 4 games out of first place at the end of the season. In 2017-2018, Washington had another winning season and made the playoffs though their performance was off from the previous season. The Wizards finished 43-39 in 8th place and a whopping 16 games out of first place.

All along the Wizards management made small adjustments in personnel though refused to touch the team’s nucleus of John Wall, Otto Porter, Jr. and Bradley Beal. They’ve tried a coaching change with Scott Brooks replacing Randy Wittman. It made a short term difference but now the team is back where they’ve been several times during the past few years—with plenty of talent but no answers for why they’re not winning. Washington is off to a dismal start this season at 8-13, though they have won 6 of their last 10. They currently hold down 9th place in the Eastern Conference and are 1.5 games out of the 8th spot and the final playoff spot. They’ve been particularly bad on the road where they’re 2-8 both straight up and against the spread. Overall, they’re 7-13-1 ATS this season including a woeful 2-5 SU/ATS as an underdog.

They now hit the road once again off a 21 point road loss at New Orleans, this time to take on a defensively superior Philadelphia team that has won 8 of their last 10 games. The Sixers are 15-8 on the season and just 3.5 games out of first place as well 1 game back of the second place Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia has dominated Washington in recent matchups on their home floor and enter this contest on a 4-0 SU/3-1 ATS run in the series.

Philadelphia might not be hitting on all cylinders but they are playing good basketball as a team. Washington, meanwhile, is reportedly having chemistry issues, locker room arguments and players more concerned with personal agendas than team performance. There are trade rumors that one or more of the ‘core three’ will be moved. There’s also some talk that management will break up the team, clean house and start from scratch. There’s also very little to suggest that they’ve got the wherewithal to turn things around.

BET PHILADELPHIA 76ERS -7.5 OVER WASHINGTON WIZARDS