Washington Wizards -9.5 vs Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are apparently planning to rest the entire starting unit for today's matchup at the Washington Wizards. By our math, replacing Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll and Al Horford with replacement-caliber players subtracts almost 19 points from any theoretical advantage the Hawks may have had (Paul Millsap's absence from last week's action foretold of his being sidelined today, so his unavailability is likely reflected in our numbers). Before Atlanta's personnel shakeup was publicized, our Real Plus/Minus-based power ratings made the this contest a virtual toss-up. However, we now expect Washington to cover with ease as they will face Atlanta's second and third stringers. Additionally, Wizards Power Forward, Nene, was recently upgraded from doubtful to probable for today's action, reinforcing our expectation for an easy day for the Wizards. Happy betting!!