Phoenix Suns vs Washington Wizards Prediction: Back in form Suns meet highly vulnerable Wizards

The NBA Season has been on and we have been witnessing a lot of heated battles already. The NBA midseason has been moving at a great pace and we are going to see a lot of movements in relation to trades and all. In this game, the Phoenix Suns take on the Washington Wizards.

Phoenix Suns

The Suns come into this game after thumping the LA Lakers 130:104 as Chris Paul accumulated 28 points and 8 assists. The Lakers were without their Ace LeBron James and triple-double machine Russell Westbrook. The win was the third in a row for the Suns which had lost five in a row earlier. They now have 19 wins and 12 losses, which is rather a sub-par return for a team that didn’t lose their 12th game till around the 50th game last season. However, with a long season ahead, the Suns are the type of team that can recover their ways.

Devin Booker had a slump in the middle due to a hamstring injury but erupted for a 58-points night just a few days ago. With Chris Paul back in the scene, the backcourt scenario will be restored soon. Deandre Ayton has picked up his game too while defensively, having Mikal Bridges is always a boon. The Suns’ offense is one of the most efficient when Booker is on song but parting ways with Jae Crowder has hurt the balance on both ends as their other Forward Cameron Johnson is also injured, and may return around New Year.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards come into this game after losing 117:119 against the Lakers in the last few seconds. In that game, Bradley Beal did score 29 while Kyle Kuzma grabbed 16 rebounds but some late defensive errors hurt the Wizards. And they have done so for a long time now as the team has now lost nine in a row, which has made up for just 11 wins and a gigantic 20 losses in comparison. The Wizards’ season is reminiscent of last season and they need to pull off some trades or blow this roster up to get in the lottery business.

This all has happened despite the team having three 20+ points scorers in Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis. So, the talent is there but the returns aren’t there. The Point Guard position remains inconsistent whereas the team lacks the bench depth to be effective when there are injuries. However, the issue is much more about depth, the commitment on the defensive end has been missing more often than not especially in key situations while the offense has taken a holiday long ago.

Injuries

• Suns: OUT: Cameron Johnson, Cameron Payne, Duane Washington Jr. Game-Time Decisions: Devin Booker, Jock Landale, Josh Okogie;
• Wizards: OUT: Delon Wright, Rui Hachimura.

Player Props Predictions

• Expected Leading Scorers: Devin Booker(27-33 Points), Bradley Beal(25-31 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Kristaps Porzingis(11-14 Rebounds), Deandre Ayton(9-12 Rebounds;
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Chris Paul(8-11 Assists), Monte Morris(5-6 Assists).

Expert Betting Tips

The Suns just played last night but they are in a wonderful touch now and with their roster now becoming healthier steadily, they will be in for a big punch. Will the management rest some key players or rather build on the winning streak? The Wizards have been punched right in the gut and are running out of answers, it is clear, they need to change their direction at this point. Against such a vulnerable team, the Suns can notch one but this season, they haven’t been as ruthless as last season, leaving the door open. However, I see them closing the door on the second straight night and registering a 120:112 win here.