NBA Lock Alert – Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta to Dominate Reeling Wizards

While the Washington Wizards search for solace in the wake of Gilbert Arenas’s unbelievably selfish acts, the Atlanta Hawks remain on a simpler quest. In the past five games, Atlanta has beaten Boston twice but lost to both Miami and Orlando. It’s no secret that the Wizards are embroiled in trade rumors, gossip and brass men running around trying to save the organization. The Hawks are merely just trying to figure out where they star in the playoff picture.

After going 3-2 SU in the past 5 games, and returning to their promising betting status this season with a 12-6 ATS record over the past 18 games, the Hawks could not face the Washington Wizards at a better time. The other Dirty Birds are 6-2 ATS in their past 8 games at home, and against the Wizards, the basketball betting trends get even sweeter.

Atlanta is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against Washington and undefeated in their last five matchup straight up. Some will point towards the fact that Atlanta is not as strong at home against the NBA oddsmakers when playing the Wizards at home, but I think that’s a moot point. Washington is in complete disarray right now and toppling a team as complete and as motivated would be hard for them even if they were clicking on all cylinders.

Washington Wizards (12-24) vs. Atlanta Hawks (24-13)

Wednesday, January 13 th — Philips Arena, Atlanta — 7:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: Atlanta -11 (205)

The Wizards have dropped 5 of their last 7 games and are just 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall. The team has been reeling with the distractions of the questioning for Gilbert Arenas’s gun debacle, and the younger players aren’t exactly sure how to handle the pressure of all this media scrutiny. As was displayed during the 90-99 decimation at the hands of the mediocre Pistons, the Wizards are lacking focus and unity.

It’s easy to say that Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, the teams’ co-captains and the two most productive players, can lift the spirits and the stats of the piss poor Wizards, but there may be another factor at stake for those two. Jamison, for starters, is averaging 29.8 points per game and 9.0 rebounds. Is that a response to the gaff by Arenas? Or do you think it’s a cry for help for some playoff team to trade for him?

There have been some NBA rumors circulating that the Cavaliers are jockeying in a major position to trade for Jamison. Honestly, he’s been patient enough in Washington. I know he makes great money, but he’s also been one of the rare class acts on a struggling franchise for years. In his prime, he deserves better, and while he waits for word from the head office as the trade deadline approaches, all he’ll get in the meantime is a shellacking at the hands of the Hawks.

In the past ten games against the Hawks, the betting spread has never been this large. In fact, because of how well each team knows each other, it’s never been in double-digits. This is both a high spread and an unusually high TOTAL. In the last seven games at home against Washington, the game has gone in the UNDER five times. When a spread is this high, there’s always a reason.

Furious Free Pick: Atlanta -11 (UNDER)