The Washington Wizards and the Miami Heat duke it out at the Kaseya Center on Friday night.
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards have won just one of their first four games overall and they will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after getting beaten by the Hawks in a 130-121 road loss on Wednesday. Kyle Kuzma led the team with 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 11 of 21 shooting, Deni Avdija added 22 points on 10 of 16 shooting while Jordan Poole chipped in with 13 points. As a team, the Wizards shot 50 percent from the field and 10 of 40 from the 3-point line, but they couldn’t keep the Hawks in check early on and got burned by 34 points in the second quarter and again by 40 points in the third quarter to fall behind by as many as 26 points at one stage.
Washington Wizards Team Facts
- The Wizards have lost each of their last eight road games.
- The Wizards have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four road games against Eastern Conference opponents that held a losing record.
- Each of the Wizards’ last nine games against Eastern Conference opponents have gone OVER the total points line.
Miami Heat
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have really struggled to get going this season as they are now hoping to snap a four-game slide after getting beaten by the Nets in a 109-105 loss on Wednesday. Tyler Herro led the way with 30 points and five assists on 12 of 23 shooting, Bam Adebayo added 21 points with 14 rebounds and two blocks, while Jimmy Butler chipped in with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. As a team, the Heat shot just 42 percent from the field and 13 of 38 from the 3-point line as they dominated the first half to build a 16-point lead, only to go cold and allow the Nets to run them down in the fourth quarter where they leaked 34 points.
Miami Heat Team Facts
- The Heat have won 20 of their last 21 home games against Southeast Division opponents.
- The Heat have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four games at Kaseya Center.
- Each of the Heat’s last six home games have gone UNDER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Heat rank 29th in the league for field goals made per game this season (38.0).
- The Heat rank 28th in the league for opponent rebounds per game this season (49.6).
- The Wizards rank 30th in the league for opponent points per game this season (126.3).
- The Wizards rank 30th in the league for opponent assists per game this season (30.5).
Peter’s Pick
The Wizards could be shorthanded again as Daniel Gafford and Corey Kispert are both listed as questionable, while the Heat are keeping an eye on Jimmy Butler who is day to day. The Wizards have yet to get going at all this season and their confidence took another hit after leaking 130 points to the Hawks in Wednesday’s loss. You could say the same about the Heat who have lost four in a row and are coming fresh off a game where they blew a 16-point lead. You couldn’t back either side with much confidence these days, but I’ll lean towards the Heat turn things around sooner rather than later.
