As always, the NBA season’s start has not gone how fans and pundits have expected
As always, the NBA season’s start has not gone how fans and pundits have expected. Certain teams like the Los Angeles Lakers that looked like surefire contenders have underperformed, while others, like the Chicago Bulls, have surpassed all expectations. With COVID-19 now running rampant, the NBA is in a topsy-turvy year where nothing is as it seems. This season of chaos may continue as one established Eastern Conference contender faces off with a rising power on December 21st.
The game in question is a showdown between the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards. Both teams are currently occupying playoff spots, so this will be a game to watch. It will also create a great betting opportunity, with two closely matched teams in a major battle. If you’re a fan of NBA betting, this game will be a big one.
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Brooklyn Nets Vs Washington Wizards Prediction 21/12 NBA 2021-22
The Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards have had differing paths to this point of the season, but on December 21st in Brooklyn, these teams will clash for the second time of the season. Currently, they both occupy playoff spots, although a recent downturn in performance has Washington in trouble.
The Wizards came into the year with little to no expectations. They had just traded Russel Westbrook for what looked like spare parts. Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are all high-quality players, but it didn’t look like this would be enough to make them a playoff threat.
But then, they shocked the league by starting the year 10-3 and taking down some of the best teams in the league. Superstar Bradley Beal wasn’t playing his best, yet the team was winning games. This had people referring to them as one of the surprise teams of the league.
However, since their scorching start, things have started to go sideways. They’ve gone 5-11 since that 10-3 start, and they’re now just hanging onto a playoff spot. However, they have a deep roster with some real talent. Beal is one of the top scorers in the game, Harrell is playing lights out, and Spencer Dinwiddie and Kuzma are great secondary options. They can surprise any team on any given night.
On the other end of things, the Nets entered the season as the presumptive favourite. Returning Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, and adding numerous top-notch role players like Patty Mills, made this team seem invincible. However, Irving hasn’t played a game due to his vaccination stance, and Harden has struggled to strike the right balance.
If you think that has held this team back, you’d only be a little correct. Durant is carrying a heavy load, the role players are stepping up, and even James Harden at 50% is a better player than most of the league. After starting the year 2-3, prompting many pieces discussing whether this team can work, the Nets have gone 18-5. They sit atop the Eastern Conference and have the 4th best record in the league.
On a talent-to-talent level, the Wizards are not anywhere close to the Nets. The Nets are top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating. While Deni Avdija is playing well for the Wizards as a wing defender, no one on that team can check Kevin Durant. The Nets are a matchup problem the whole way through, and if you were only looking at the players, you’d say the Wizards might as well take the loss today.
The Wizards are a middle-of-the-pack 23rd in Offensive Rating and a middle-of-the-pack 21st in defensive rating. That hot start may have been a mirage, and this recent slump might be them coming down to earth.
However, anything can happen in the NBA; that is part of the fun. The superior team doesn’t always win. Bradley Beal is still one of the biggest scoring threats in the league, and his shot hasn’t started to fall. The Wizards have better big men, with Harrell and Gafford both clogging the paint and bringing physicality. There is a little more depth on the Wizards.
To predict the final score of the game, I’d suggest that this will be closer than it appears, but ultimately, the more talented team will win. My final score prediction for this game is Brooklyn Nets 120-Washington Wizards 116. I’m predicting a high-scoring, up-tempo game and a major scoring night from Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant. Take the over on the total for this one, and enjoy watching two Eastern Conference playoff teams duke it out.