Editors Note: The Washington Wizards have ruled out CJ McCollum, Khris Middleton, Kyshawn George, Will Riley, Came Whitmore, Sharife Cooper, and Jamir Watkins for various injuries since the time of writing. The spread on DraftKings Sportsbook has shifted from 13.5 to 14.5.
The Washington Wizards will travel to face the Philadelphia 76ers as part of tonight’s 12-game NBA slate. The action will be tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET between these two Eastern Conference opponents.
This marks the second matchup between these two teams this season. Philadelphia was able to edge out a 139-134 victory in overtime during the first matchup, which took place back on Oct. 28th. This was just the fourth game of the season for each side, and plenty has shifted in the outlook for both teams.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the 76ers are 13.5-point favorites and hold -650 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Wizards are +470 underdogs with the game total set at 235.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Wizards at 76ers Preview
The Wizards enter this matchup with a 10-25 record on the season, which puts them at 14th place in the Eastern Conference. However, the young squad has shown flashes of clicking, winning five of its last seven and seven of the last 12. Washington is 15-20 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 18 of its 35 games.
As a team, the Wizards are scoring 113.6 points per game, which ranks 24th in the league. They rank 27th in offensive rating, 21st in field-goal percentage, 14th in three-point percentage, and ninth in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 124.0 points per game, which ranks 29th in the NBA. They rank 29th in defensive rating, 16th in opponent field-goal percentage, 19th in opponent three-point percentage, and last in the league in opponent rebounds allowed.
Washington traded for CJ McCollum this summer, providing a respectable veteran presence. McCollum headlines the production with 18.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds. Last year’s No. 2 pick, Alex Sarr, has shown some encouraging flashes, averaging 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds while leading the NBA with 2.4 blocks per game. Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington have each shown some exciting flashes as well. Kyshawn George will miss tonight’s matchup with a hip flexor strain, and Cam Whitmore remains sidelined as well.
The Philadelphia 76ers sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, entering with a 19-15 record on the season. They looked to be turning a corner as a team, but will now need to pick themselves up from a discouraging loss on Monday against a shorthanded Nuggets team that was missing all of its starters. This halted a three-game winning streak. The Sixers are 20-14 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 18 games this season.
Philadelphia is averaging 117.2 points per game, which ranks 14th in the NBA. It ranks 16th in offensive rating, 26th in field-goal percentage, 13th in three-point percentage and 19th in pace. Defensively, opponents are averaging 116.4 points per game, which ranks 15th in the league. The 76ers rank 14th in defensive rating, 13th in opponent field-goal percentage, and sixth in opponent three-point percentage.
Joel Embiid has suited up for four consecutive games for the first time this season leading into this matchup, and he is listed as questionable for tonight’s game. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford have each also been upgraded to questionable ahead of tonight’s matchup after both last played in November.
Tyrese Maxey is leading the NBA in minutes played and is averaging 31.0 points, 7.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 40.5% from beyond the three-point arc across these opportunities. Embiid has increasingly looked like himself as the season has progressed, posting averages of 23.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. The former MVP is no longer on a minutes limit. Third-overall pick V.J. Edgecombe has become the glue of the starting lineup, adding 16.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists while making a strong defensive impact. Paul George, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain and Dominick Barlow round out most of the notable depth.
Wizards at 76ers Prediction, Best Bet
The Sixers entered the season as one of the bigger mystery teams with injury concerns forcing expectations to be tempered. They looked to be turning a corner, but the previous loss to the Nuggets was concerning. With 118.3 average points per game sidelined from Denver’s roster, Philadelphia did not approach the game with the necessary intensity and was punished for it. This was further evidence that this Sixers team can both beat or lose to anyone on any given night.
Washington enters this matchup on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating the Orlando Magic 120-112 last night. It has played its best basketball of late, and the Wizards gave the Sixers trouble in their first matchup. Washington led by as many as 19 in the matchup. It entered the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead and led by 13 points with less than five minutes to play before the Sixers came storming back to force an overtime victory.
Ultimately, the 13.5-point spread feels too significant based on the level the Wizards have been playing at. They have played above .500 basketball over the last month, beating teams like the Magic, Raptors, Grizzlies (twice), Bucks, Nets and Pacers. Washington has covered the spread in nine of its last 13 games.
From a matchup perspective, Philadelphia is vulnerable to high-level athletic teams that play with a high motor. Embiid’s mobility is still a work in progress, with Alex Sarr scoring 31 points and adding 11 rebounds in the first matchup between these two teams. The young Wizards roster competes hard and will have an athletic advantage. Expect this to be a factor in keeping this competitive.
My lean is toward the over, but I am backing Washington on the +13.5 spread for this matchup. Philadelphia has the talent advantage, but the Wizards are playing really solid basketball as of late and will lean on their length and athleticism in this matchup. The previous loss to Denver should be a wake-up call for Philadelphia, but count on it having a hard time putting the Wizards away and the final score remaining within this significant spread.
