After defeated the Utah Jazz in decisive fashion, the Philadelphia 76ers (15-6) look to extend their win streak to five as they travel to Washington to take on the Washington Wizards (6-13).
Coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Radio coverage will be on 97.5 The Fanatic.
The Sixers are 6.5 point favorites with an over/under that is still unsettled.
The Injury Bug
They wouldn’t be a Philadelphia team if they didn’t deal with a nonsensical amount of injuries each season. Josh Richardson is already ruled out for his fourth consecutive game as he continues to nurse a strained right hamstring.
Know Your Enemy:
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are as much of a lackluster team as they were predicted to be. So far this season, the showcase a mere 6-13 record, while have a 3-5 record at home.
But there’s one bug the Sixers need to squish. They haven’t won in Washington since 2013, and that could come to an end tonight.
The Wizards are the complete opposite of the Sixers. They anchor the league in defensive rating. They’ve allowed teams to score 150 or more twice, which is the same number of times they’ve held someone to under 100. Despite their awful defense, they actually are pretty good offensively. Washington ranks fourth in the league, and when Bradley Beal is on the floor, they have the second-best offense in the NBA.
After tearing his Achilles last season, John Wall remains sidelined. Bradley Beal has taken the helm for the Wizards, leading the team in points (28.7) and assists (7.2) per game.
Another player worth noting is Thomas Bryant, who is the best defensive player on the Wizards. However, he is going to miss Wednesday’s game with a stress reaction in his right foot.
Prediction
Shut down Bradley Beal, and the Sixers could win this game by more than twenty points. The Wizards do not have any threat beyond Beal, and with him off the court, the Wizards drop to the bottom ten in team offense in the NBA. The Sixers’ strong defensive style of play will lead them in this one.
As the Sixers will do a very productive job in keeping Beal below his season average, they will outperform a far inferior team in any possible category. Sixers win this one 125-107.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
