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Spread and final score predictions

Spread and final score predictions

After losing their first game of the year to Oklahoma City last night, the Atlanta Hawks are looking for a quick rebound tonight when they host the Washington Wizards at State Farm Arena. It’s the first of two matchups between the two teams this week, and Washington gives the Hawks an opportunity for their third win of the season. Washington was projected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year, and through two games they looked like that.

Sunday was a tough day overall for the Hawks, but Washington and Oklahoma City were very different from each other as teams. The Hawks should have an easier time scoring the ball against this defense.

Trae Young had 24 points and eight assists against OKC last night, but he also had 10 turnovers. The Thunder had a lot of different defenders that could throw at Young and give him problems, but tonight he will face the worst defense in the league. Young should be able to separate the Wizards.

Dyson Daniels had his moments on defense last night, but struggled on offense. After two fantastic games to start the year, Daniels scored seven points on 3-11 shooting and was a team-worst -25 on the floor. Daniels took on the tough job on defense every night, defending players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball and Cam Thomas. Washington doesn’t have a player like that, but I suspect he’s guarding Jordan Poole tonight.

The Hawks could use De’Andre Hunter last night against the Thunder, and his status for tonight’s game is unknown as of this writing. Zakkari Risaker made his first NBA start last night and did some good things. He scored 13 points on 6-12 shooting (0-2 from three) and grabbed six rebounds. It was good for Risacher to start and get experience against one of the best teams in the NBA, and if Hunter goes down again, Risacher could get another start.

It was another tough night for Jalen Johnson, adding to a rocky start to his season. Johnson scored seven points on 3-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. It’s not time to panic yet, but Johnson hasn’t started as strong as many (including me) predicted. However, playing as the Wizards can cure everything and this could be the right game for him.

Onyeka Okongwu is out for tonight’s game, which likely means a rotation of Clint Capela and Larry Nance.

The bench was solid, but some problem areas still surfaced. The Hawks relied on Vit Krejci while Young was not on the court, and again the results were mixed. The Hawks hope Kobe Bufkin can replace Young on the court, but he is injured and there is no timetable for his return. If he can’t return soon, the Hawks may want to find a solution.

David Roddy and Garrison Matthews were two of the bright spots against Oklahoma City last night. Matthews scored 14 points off the bench and shot 4-8 from three, while Roddy scored 10 points on 4-5 shooting from the floor. Roddy got some minutes due to Hunter not playing and will likely do so again if Hunter is out.

Here’s how you can watch today’s game:

Start time: 7:30 pm ET.

Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia.

Where to watch: Fanduel Sports Network Southeast

De’Andre Hunter (right knee soreness) is questionable. Onyeka Okongwu (injury management, left big toe), Bogdan Bogdanovic (right hamstring tendinopathy) and Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) were out.

Saddiq Bey and Malcolm Brogdon are out for the Wizards.

I think Washington is the worst team in the NBA on paper, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoiler on any given night. The Hawks should be able to score against them at will, with Young leading the way and I expect Johnson to bounce back. If they can contain turnovers and protect the three-point line, this should be a big win for Atlanta.

Final score: Hawks 131, Wizards 116.