1st Quarter Report
The Thunder are on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 36-30 lead against the Wizards.
If the Thunder keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 24-11 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with a 6-30 record unless they turn things around.
Who’s Playing
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Washington Wizards
Current Records: Oklahoma City 23-11, Washington 6-29
How To Watch
- When: Monday, January 8, 2024 at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Capital One Arena — Washington, District of Columbia
- TV: Bally Sports Oklahoma
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $14.00
What to Know
The Wizards will be in front of their home fans on Monday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:00 p.m. ET on Monday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they’ll have plenty of motivation to get the ‘W’.
The Wizards’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fourth straight loss. The matchup between Washington and New York wasn’t particularly close, with Washington falling 121-105. The Wizards have struggled against the Knicks recently, as their match on Saturday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
The losing side was boosted by Deni Avdija, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points he has scored all season.
Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Thunder last Friday, but the final result did not. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 124-115 defeat to Brooklyn. The Thunder have been going strong on the season, but this is now their second loss in a row.
The Thunder’s loss came about despite a quality game from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 34 points along with nine rebounds and six assists. The matchup was Gilgeous-Alexander’s third in a row with at least 30 points.
Washington has not been sharp recently, as they’ve lost seven of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-29 record this season. As for Oklahoma City, their loss dropped their record down to 23-11.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Wizards haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.5 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Thunder (currently ranked second in turnovers per game) struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 11.6 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Wizards lost to the Thunder at home by a decisive 127-110 margin when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Will the Wizards have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Oklahoma City is a big 11-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Thunder as a 11.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 246.5 points.
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Series History
Washington has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Oklahoma City.
- Jan 06, 2023 – Oklahoma City 127 vs. Washington 110
- Nov 16, 2022 – Oklahoma City 121 vs. Washington 120
- Jan 11, 2022 – Washington 122 vs. Oklahoma City 118
- Nov 26, 2021 – Washington 101 vs. Oklahoma City 99
- Apr 23, 2021 – Washington 129 vs. Oklahoma City 109
- Apr 19, 2021 – Washington 119 vs. Oklahoma City 107
- Aug 09, 2020 – Oklahoma City 121 vs. Washington 103
- Oct 25, 2019 – Washington 97 vs. Oklahoma City 85
- Jan 06, 2019 – Washington 116 vs. Oklahoma City 98
- Nov 02, 2018 – Oklahoma City 134 vs. Washington 111
