Wizards vs. 76ers NBA Odds, Preview and Pick
Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 7 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Washington's Struggles
Currently, the Wizards have lost six straight games.
The mostly non-competitive nature of their losses has helped ensure that they're also suffering a six-game ATS losing streak.
Most recently, they lost by 20 to Memphis and by 14 to Milwaukee.
Offense has been a consistent problem. They've failed to reach 100 points in three of their last four games.
But they've also allowed over 110 points in four straight games.
Simply stated, they can't do much right at the moment.
Bradley Beal
To make matters worse for the Wizards, they are playing without their top player, Bradley Beal.
Beal is, by far, his team's leading scorer. He averages 23.2 points per game, which is 7.2 more than any of his teammates.
With his developed offensive skillset, Beal accords with Washington's general offensive objectives.
I say "developed" because he did not start out in the NBA as the kind of player he is now.
Previously, Beal was known primarily as a shooter. He loved to catch and shoot.
His high conversion rates from behind the arc early in his career attest to the emphasis that he placed on trying to be a great shooter.
While his three-point shooting has declined in terms of efficiency, he has become a more complete player.
Now, he amasses a lot of drives per game. He loves to score at the basket, often achieving an "and-one" in the process.
But Beal won't be driving to the basket tonight. Instead, he's driven to a specialist to discuss his injured wrist that is keeping him from playing.
Joel Embiid's Return
76er star center Joel Embiid missed Philadelphia's last game in order to rest.
In contrast to last year, the 76ers want to ensure that Embiid is healthy for the playoffs.
But it is expected that Embiid will play tonight.
Challenging Philadelphia's Rim Protection
Always in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, Embiid is well-known as an elite rim protector.
But his defensive field goal percentage does not reflect his quality as a defender.
His poor-looking statistics do not so much evince a depreciation of his defensive ability as that they are produced by a constant conundrum that he faces.
On ball-screens and in other situations where the opposing offense looks to gain a numerical advantage for itself inside, the 76er defense does not like to rotate or help inside.
Philadelphia ranks eighth at limiting opposing three-point attempts because it is devoted to preventing opponents from accruing three-point opportunities like by driving inside in order to kick it back out to a shooter behind the arc.
This particular focus often leaves Embiid in the lurch. This focus on stopping three-point attempts therefore helps explain certain head-scratching stats like the fact that Philadelphia allows the fifth-most points per game against the pick-and-roll for the ball-handler play type.
Washington, though, does not have the playing form or personnel, especially without Beal, to live around the basket.
It may be no surprise that the Wizards are often struggling to reach 100 points when they're relying so heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie, a ball-hog who loves driving to the basket and who, in his last three games, has gone 1-of-12, 2-of-10, and 3-of-10 from the floor.
During their losing streak, the Wizards are suffering the sixth-worst field goal percentage within five feet of the basket, which, added to their relative inefficiency in the ball-screen for the ball-handler play type, makes them a weak offensive option tonight.
While Washington got revenge on the 76ers by winning its last game against them, the 76ers are playing much more focused basketball right now.
Plus, steal-artist and shot-blocking defensive stud Matisse Thybulle will be back for this game.
He played in the 76er blowout against Washington in the teams' first meeting this season but he was absent in the rematch.
Thybulle is important also on ball-screens because, as video footage shows, he ably uses his lengthy wingspan to contests shots and otherwise bother ball-handlers when trailing from behind after being screened.
76er Offense vs. Wizard Defense
Defensively, Washington is focused on the perimeter. The Wizards are great at limiting opposing three-point attempts. But the 76ers don't like to shoot from three, anyways.
Instead, the 76ers like to live close to the basket where the Wizards are vastly more likely to allow opponents to operate comfortably.
Washington lacks the rim protection -- the combination of size and athleticism in its rim protectors -- to deter the monster Embiid from dominating down low.
A hot Tobias Harris, who has been playing efficient offense lately and who loves to drive inside, will further challenge a Wizard defense that allows the second-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
The Verdict
Washington's offensive struggles will continue against a focused 76er team that will use its strong scoring options at the basket to outpace a Wizard offense that lacks the personnel to challenge Philadelphia's star-laden rim protection.
Best Bet: 76ers ATS (Odds TBA)
Washington Wizards vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 7 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Washington's Struggles
Currently, the Wizards have lost six straight games.
The mostly non-competitive nature of their losses has helped ensure that they're also suffering a six-game ATS losing streak.
Most recently, they lost by 20 to Memphis and by 14 to Milwaukee.
Offense has been a consistent problem. They've failed to reach 100 points in three of their last four games.
But they've also allowed over 110 points in four straight games.
Simply stated, they can't do much right at the moment.
Bradley Beal
To make matters worse for the Wizards, they are playing without their top player, Bradley Beal.
Beal is, by far, his team's leading scorer. He averages 23.2 points per game, which is 7.2 more than any of his teammates.
With his developed offensive skillset, Beal accords with Washington's general offensive objectives.
I say "developed" because he did not start out in the NBA as the kind of player he is now.
Previously, Beal was known primarily as a shooter. He loved to catch and shoot.
His high conversion rates from behind the arc early in his career attest to the emphasis that he placed on trying to be a great shooter.
While his three-point shooting has declined in terms of efficiency, he has become a more complete player.
Now, he amasses a lot of drives per game. He loves to score at the basket, often achieving an "and-one" in the process.
But Beal won't be driving to the basket tonight. Instead, he's driven to a specialist to discuss his injured wrist that is keeping him from playing.
Joel Embiid's Return
76er star center Joel Embiid missed Philadelphia's last game in order to rest.
In contrast to last year, the 76ers want to ensure that Embiid is healthy for the playoffs.
But it is expected that Embiid will play tonight.
Challenging Philadelphia's Rim Protection
Always in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, Embiid is well-known as an elite rim protector.
But his defensive field goal percentage does not reflect his quality as a defender.
His poor-looking statistics do not so much evince a depreciation of his defensive ability as that they are produced by a constant conundrum that he faces.
On ball-screens and in other situations where the opposing offense looks to gain a numerical advantage for itself inside, the 76er defense does not like to rotate or help inside.
Philadelphia ranks eighth at limiting opposing three-point attempts because it is devoted to preventing opponents from accruing three-point opportunities like by driving inside in order to kick it back out to a shooter behind the arc.
This particular focus often leaves Embiid in the lurch. This focus on stopping three-point attempts therefore helps explain certain head-scratching stats like the fact that Philadelphia allows the fifth-most points per game against the pick-and-roll for the ball-handler play type.
Washington, though, does not have the playing form or personnel, especially without Beal, to live around the basket.
It may be no surprise that the Wizards are often struggling to reach 100 points when they're relying so heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie, a ball-hog who loves driving to the basket and who, in his last three games, has gone 1-of-12, 2-of-10, and 3-of-10 from the floor.
During their losing streak, the Wizards are suffering the sixth-worst field goal percentage within five feet of the basket, which, added to their relative inefficiency in the ball-screen for the ball-handler play type, makes them a weak offensive option tonight.
While Washington got revenge on the 76ers by winning its last game against them, the 76ers are playing much more focused basketball right now.
Plus, steal-artist and shot-blocking defensive stud Matisse Thybulle will be back for this game.
He played in the 76er blowout against Washington in the teams' first meeting this season but he was absent in the rematch.
Thybulle is important also on ball-screens because, as video footage shows, he ably uses his lengthy wingspan to contests shots and otherwise bother ball-handlers when trailing from behind after being screened.
76er Offense vs. Wizard Defense
Defensively, Washington is focused on the perimeter. The Wizards are great at limiting opposing three-point attempts. But the 76ers don't like to shoot from three, anyways.
Instead, the 76ers like to live close to the basket where the Wizards are vastly more likely to allow opponents to operate comfortably.
Washington lacks the rim protection -- the combination of size and athleticism in its rim protectors -- to deter the monster Embiid from dominating down low.
A hot Tobias Harris, who has been playing efficient offense lately and who loves to drive inside, will further challenge a Wizard defense that allows the second-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
The Verdict
Washington's offensive struggles will continue against a focused 76er team that will use its strong scoring options at the basket to outpace a Wizard offense that lacks the personnel to challenge Philadelphia's star-laden rim protection.
Best Bet: 76ers ATS (Odds TBA)
