Washington (29-37) at Golden State (46-22)
When: Monday, March 14th
Where: Chase Center,
San Francisco, CA
Time: 10:00 ET | TV: League Pass
Opening Odds: Golden State -11/228
The Washington Wizards are on the outside-looking-in when it comes to making the postseason, so they’ll need a big run in the final month. The Wizards are playing the final game of their four-game trip and will need better defense to avoid going 0-4. Entering Sunday’s action, Washington is three games behind both the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference with 16 games left. Defense has been an issue recently, with the Wizards allowing 115 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, 122 to the Los Angeles Lakers and 127 to the Portland Trail Blazers – all losses. Not surprisingly, Washington has failed to cover those three games and are 10-21-1 ATS away from home this season.
They’ll get a Golden State team that is rounding into healthy form with 14 games remaining. The Warriors are battling the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 2 seed in the West, with Phoenix almost assured of getting the No. 1 spot. Monday will not only be Stephen Curry’s birthday, but it will also mark the return of Draymond Green, who has been out since Jan. 5 with a calf injury. The Warriors were 29-8 after losing to the Dallas Mavericks that night and have gone 17-14 since. Golden State’s 122-109 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday was their third consecutive win and fourth consecutive cover. The NBA has scheduled Curry’s birthday as a home game for the sixth time in his career and the Warriors have won the last four, with Curry averaging 28.3 points. This is the first meeting of the season between these teams after the Wizards swept Golden State in 2020-21.
This will be Kristaps Porzingis’ fourth game as a member of the Wizards since being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline. Porzingis had missed 15 straight games bridging the trade with a bone bruise in his right knee. The former first round pick of the New York Knicks scored 14 points in his most recent game against the Clippers, but struggled to 3-of-13 shooting. In his previous two games, Porzingis was 15-of-26 from the field including 5-of-9 from long range. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Washington with 26 points in Saturday’s loss at Portland. Kyle Kuzma contributed 22 points, while Corey Kispert had 15 points and a team-high five rebounds. The Wizard return home to host the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Curry took just seven shots on Saturday against Milwaukee, but had eight assists, as other members took over the scoring. Klay Thompson poured in 38 points and was 8-of-14 from beyond the arc. Jordan Poole had 30 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Andrew Wiggins chipped in 21 points. Poole is averaging 24.8 points over his last six games and is a sizzling 28-of-49 from 3-point land in that span. Jonathan Kuminga, who averages 9.1 points, has scored in double-digits in five straight games and grabbed 11 rebounds on Saturday. The Warriors will host Boston on Wednesday.
The Warriors are hard to stop right now and the Wizards can’t stop anyone. The Wizards have played to the Over in six straight games and they’ll make it seven on Monday night in San Francisco.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free NBA Picks page for today.
Pick: OVER 225.5
