Wednesday, Jan. 29
Raptors minus 7 at Wizards
So much for the Raptors tanking. Toronto has won four in a row. Only a road loss to the Bucks keeps Toronto from riding a seven-game win streak.
Getting players healthy, balanced scoring and defensive improvement have keyed Toronto's improvement. It has put the Raptors into this point spread range where up until now they hadn't been favored by more than a basket all season.
Still, my recommendation is to lay the points. Not just because of the Raptors' improvement, but because the Wizards are - yes - that horrific.
Not only do the Wizards have the worst record in the NBA by far at 6-39, they also are tied for the third-worst point spread mark at 17-27-1 (38.6 percent).
The last time Washington won was on New Year's Day. The Wizards have dropped their past 14 games with 12 of those defeats occurring by eight or more points. They have lost their past five games by an average of 19 points.
This is the Wizards' first home game since Jan. 16. They just concluded a six-game, 11-day road trip that finished two nights ago in Dallas. So even focus could be a problem for the Wizards as they get adjusted to being back home.
I really like the NBA card today. I have found three plays in addition to this free selection, including my Triple Star Game of the Month. This is a rare day where I have a second Triple Star play going. It is on my NHL Game of the Week. I am 8-4 on my last 12 NBA plays. You can find my plays, packages and records here: pregame.com/.../stephen-nover
Best of luck and no bad beats!