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The Washington Wizards already knocked off one team with a bunch of youngsters, beating the Sixers and their top picks over the last two seasons in the opener. Now, the Wiz get a chance to stifle the Los Angeles Lakers and No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball when the two meet at Staples Center. Washington has one of the most talented backcourts in the NBA with John Wall and Bradley Beal, and they aren’t going to let the recent draft picks have too much success against them.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Staples Center at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 25, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Wednesday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Wizards failed to cover in a pair of home wins to open the season and hit the road for the first time this season on a four-game trip that opens Monday in Denver. The new scheduling alignment gives the Wiz a day off between each game, which will allow them to stay fresh. And that will only help their starting backcourt, which is much better than LA’s. The Lakers open the season with four of their first five at home but have yet to win at Staples Center after falling to the Pelicans on Sunday. They are 0-2 SU and ATS at home, but have gone over the closing total in the past two overall.
Player to Watch
It’s hard not to get caught up in the Lonzo Ball hype train and for good reason. The kid has his own PR machine in his old man and he plays in one of the hottest markets in the NBA that is looking for something positive after some of the most dreadful years in the franchise’s history. Ball has been exactly what the Lakers need and he should continue to get better. It’s just going to take some time for this team to figure out exactly what it has after so many changes.
The No. 2 overall pick in the last draft is already having a roller-coaster type season after just one week, but it sure is fun. Ball debuted by scoring three points on 1 of 6 shooting against the Clippers. He did have nine rebounds, but the Lakers have plenty of rebounders and need ball to score and distribute. He handed out four assists against the Clips. The next time out he went off for 29 points and nearly had a triple-double by collecting 11 rebounds and nine assists in a win over Phoenix. Ball hit 3 of 13 shots for eight points against New Orleans Sunday night, but did have 13 assists and eight boards. He’s a triple-double machine waiting to happen and as he gets more comfortable, the numbers will follow.
Key Stat
119.0 – The Lakers may have improved their offensive efficiency with the addition of Ball, but the defense is still an area of weakness. They allowed 130 points to Phoenix last week but were able to win the contest. They didn’t have as much luck Sunday, bowing to New Orleans by giving up 119 points. The Lakers finished 28th last season in points allowed per game and were last in field goal defense, allowing opponents to bury 48.3 percent of their shots.
The start to this season hasn’t been much better on the defensive side of the floor. The Pelicans shot a blistering 56.6 percent from the floor to post a 119-112 victory and used a late 11-0 run. The Lakers were able to come back from a 22-point second-half deficit to take the lead, but their inability to stop the Pels was their downfall.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Lakers might be better now that they have Ball and another year of Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram. They also upgraded with the addition of Brook Lopez, but they are still a team that needs time to come together. The time is now for the Wizards, who spent a bunch of money this offseason to keep Wall, Beal and Otto Porter on the club.
Washington used that trio last season to claim its first division title in years and they are expected to have the Wizards in the running again. They don’t have a lot of depth with Markieff Morris sidelined after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia, but the new schedule matrix that allows for fewer back-to-backs will help the Wizards on their first extended road trip. The Wiz have won three straight and eight of the last nine against the Lakers and they will continue that dominance with another victory.
NBA Odds: Wizards 119, Lakers 110
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