A season sweep of the Washington Wizards is on the cards for the New York Knicks on NBA Thursday. After beating Washington on Tuesday, the Knicks are a good chance of going 3-0 in the best of three series.
We expect a competitive NBA betting odds market for Thursday’s game and we look at whether the Wizards can turn their form around.
This should be an intriguing Eastern Conference contest between two teams needing every bit of momentum they can get.
Knicks Take Game 2 In Style
It was the Julius Randle show on Tuesday as the New York Knicks eased past the Washington Wizards for the second time this season.
Randle scored 37 points on 13-24 shooting and the Knicks were +21 with the power forward on the court. He was incredible from the three-point line, going 7-0 from long range.
The Knicks shot at 51.1% as a team and 53.3% from deep. They are tough to beat when the averages are that high, as New York found out.
New York was only 39.1% from three-point land, but that’s not too surprising for this team. It often lives and dies by the three-point sword, and it was an off night for both Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook.
Already under pressure, Beal and Westbrook shot 9-29 between them and failed to make a three-pointer. They went 18-20 from the line, which is where the majority of their points came from.
It was a disappointing effort for a team that desperately needs to show they’re fighting for wins in the NBA.
Is Washington Trying To Win?
Tanking in the NBA comes in all shapes and sizes, but are the Washington Wizards tanking in 2021?
Surely, a team with Westbrook and Beal couldn’t be 15-27 on talent alone. They are better than that and although Washington doesn’t have much depth, it’s the lack of effort that is a real concern.
The 15-27 record isn’t impressing anyone and there doesn’t seem to be any urgency. Losing is seemingly a part of Washington’s culture, so NBA bettors aren’t surprised, but it’s disappointing all the same.
We would like to see Washington show some fight in the second half of the season, which starts with New York on Thursday. Getting run over by New York three times in a season isn’t a good look, especially for loyal fans.
NBA lines won’t be giving Washington any respect until they deserve it, so at least bettors get big NBA odds for the Wizards. However, taking them to win is a sizable risk given their current form.
New York Trending In The Right Direction
A 22-22 record is positive news for a team like New York, which is trending in the right direction this season.
It was good to see Julius Randle get some scoring help on Tuesday, which came from the starters and the bench.
R.J. Barrett had 21 points and Reggie Bullock chimed in with 10 points, but it was the bench that came alive. Alec Burks (20), Mitchell Robinson (16), and Immanuel Quickley (14) were positive contributions to the Knicks.
If New York can continue to get good production off the bench, they could be a force as the NBA playoffs approach. Thursday’s game kicks off a relatively tough stretch, which includes games against Milwaukee, Miami, and Dallas. However, they are coming off a confidence-building win.
We like the direction New York is going in and it’s good to see this team trying to win games, unlike in recent seasons.
Wizards vs Knicks Game Pick
Predicting the second game of a doubleheader can be tricky, but we wouldn’t be touching the Washington Wizards with a 10-foot pole.
New York is becoming a team NBA bettors can trust and they typically get value odds from our online sportsbook.
We are loving what the Knicks are doing on the court and we expect them to take the series 3-0 on Thursday.
