Washington Wizards NBA Playoff Odds
How the Washington Wizards Got Here
On April 10, the Wizards were 19-33 and seemingly headed for their third-straight NBA Draft Lottery.
Since then, the Wizards are 15-5, have posted a top-10 Defensive Rating (110.4) and Offensive Rating (115.8), and went from 13th to eighth in the East to put themselves one win away from a playoff berth.
The biggest driving force for the Wizards has been Russell Westbrook, who looks a lot more like the version we remember from his days in Oklahoma City. His all-around game not only got him the all-time triple-double record, but has also re-energized the Wizards' offense averaging 23.6 points, 13.9 assists and 13.6 rebounds per game.
Bradley Beal has also been a dominant scorer all season and got even better when Washington needed it — he scored 32.2 points per game in his final 17 games. His health will be the top concern after he missed three of Washington's final four games with a hamstring injury.
Over their 20-game stretch, the Wizards went 15-4-1 against the spread (ATS), including 8-1-1 ATS on the road. That will be key for them as they have to play on the road in the Play-In Tournament just to make the NBA Playoffs and will be rewarded with two more road games in the first round.
The Wizards have the second-best odds to make the final eight in the East behind the Boston Celtics, but a deep run in the playoffs isn't expected based on Washington's title futures.
However, if the Wizards haven't completely emptied the gas tank in the run-up to the Play-In, they will be a tough out for any potential playoff opponent.
