It’s been a long few weeks for the Washington Wizards. The 12th-place Wizards have dropped nine straight decisions, six of which have been without Bradley Beal, who continues to resolve a hamstring strain.
Beal’s participation in Sunday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Lakers remains a mystery, with the shooting guard listed as questionable for the non-conference matchup.
Bradley Beal (right hamstring strain) remains questionable for Wizards at Lakers tonight. Wes Unseld Jr. said he?s close so my guess is he gives it a go.
— Neil Dalal (@NeilDalal96) December 18, 2022
Rui Hachimura and Delon Wright remain out as they still need to play 5-on-5, but tough with few practices scheduled.
The Wizards could use Beal’s offensive prowess, but their biggest shortcoming remains ineffective defensive play. Washington has allowed 119.0 points per game this month, dropping their season-long average to 113.5.
Defensive faults notwithstanding, Beal remains the Wizards’ best offensive player. The three-time All-Star is the pacesetter with 22.9 points per game and 3.6 Offensive Box Plus/Minus.
The Lakers are dealing with their own injuries, with Anthony Davis out of tonight’s inter-conference battle with a foot injury.
Consequently, the Wizards are modest +4.5 road underdogs against the Lakers, with the total set at 234.5, per the line info from FanDuel Sportsbook.
