Maryland sports bettors are in for a real treat as we have two instate Maryland contests for you to consider tonight.
First up, the Portland Trail Blazers meet the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Portland has won four of its last five, while Washington is riding a six-game winning streak.
The Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers travel to New Rochelle, NY, for a MAAC matchup with the Iona Gaels. The Mountaineers are looking to end a two-game losing streak, and the Gaels hope to extend a one-game winning streak.
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Washington Wizards 7:00 pm
Maryland sports bettors have a good Friday night matchup when the Portland Trail Blazers meet the Washington Wizards at 7:00 pm at Capital One Arena.
Washington has won six straight, and much of that has to do with Bradley Beal’s return to the lineup. Beal has been dishing and swishing over his last five–Washington hasn’t played since Monday night, and that bodes well for Beal and Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis.
Portland is playing well-they’ve won four of their past five and opened a three-game road trip with an impressive come-from-behind win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Trail Blazers have a losing away record, but Damian Lillard scored 42, and the Trail Blazers notched a rare road victory.
Trail Blazers center and leading rebounder Jusef Nurkic played two minutes in the Memphis victory and is listed as questionable. Portland is 7th in rebounding, and losing 9.4 caroms is less than ideal on the road-Lillard. Anfernee Simons shot the Trail Blazers out of a mess against the Grizzlies, but that’s a tall order to fill on consecutive nights against a fresher Washington side playing at home.
The best bet for this game is Washington -4. The Wizards are 6-0 ATS over their past six contests, and Beal, Porzingis, and Kyle Kuzma playing at home will prove too much against a Portland side with a 1-8 ATS record over their past nine away games. Washington should best Portland on the glass without Nurkic, and the well-rested Wizards behind Beal should cover the spread Friday night.
Phil’s Best Bet: Washington Wizards -4 -110 (DraftKings)
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers vs. Iona Gaels 7:00 pm
We have a solid Friday night Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference clash to consider for Friday night when the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers meet the Iona Gaels at Hynes Athletic Center.
The Mountaineers have dropped four of their last five, including a pair of home losses, and they’ve struggled to a 3-8 MAAC record. Mount St. Mary’s is one of the country’s best three-point and free-throw shooting squads but has lousy shooters inside the arc. The Mountaineers are a turnover machine, but their saving grace is their 123rd-ranked defensive unit allowing a 62nd best
Iona is 1.5 games behind MAAC leader Siena, and they enter this one coming off a solid home win over Quinnipiac but have lost three of their last five. The Gaels have one of the lowest turnover percentages in the nation and are considered a top-100 defensive team.
Iona isn’t a good shooting team on either side of the arc, but they play extremely fast, jack up shots early in the clock, and let their defense do the talking.
The best bet for this game is Under 136. Both sides are defense-first squads, but Iona chases shooters off the three-point line and holds teams to a 12th-best 30%, and if the Mountaineers can’t jack threes, they don’t score. Iona is a mediocre offense against an above-average defense, and they won’t come close to reaching their 75.5 season average.
Phil’s Best Bet: Iona Under 136 -110 (DraftKings)
