Daily Underdog Picks: Wizards will edge Warriors in high-scoring affair

The underdogs gave us numerous thrills during the 2021 NCAA Tournament, capped off with Baylor crushing Gonzaga in the championship game on Monday. 

Baylor entered the game as a 4.5-point underdog, but dominated Monday’s contest, handing Gonzaga its first and only loss of the season – two days after the Bulldogs were taken to overtime by 14-point underdog UCLA in the Final Four. 

With March Madness now behind us, we turn our attention to the underdogs in the NBA, and a longshot at Augusta. 

Washington Wizards vs. Golden State Warriors

The Washington Wizards take on a Golden State Warriors team that has been struggling as of late, with seven losses straight-up in their last nine games. 

Granted, one of those few victories during this funk was against Milwaukee, but that may not be enough to build confidence in the mind of some bettors heading into tonight’s game. 

The Wizards were 4.5-point underdogs as of Friday morning, and it could be a high-scoring game between these two teams with the Over/Under set at 239.5. 

The Wizards are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 games after a straight-up win, while the Warriors are just 2-5 ATS in their last seven games when scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. 

The Wizards are averaging 113.6 points-for per game, compared to 112.0 points-for per game for the Warriors. There are issues on defense for both teams, as they both rank toward the bottom of the NBA in points-against per game. Bradley Beal’s return to the Washington lineup was a key reason behind a high-scoring win over Orlando earlier this week, as he put up 26 points and went 4-of-6 from three-point range. 

Keep an eye on Beal’s status for Friday. If he plays, feel confident in the Wizards at +4.5. 

Pick: Wizards (+4.5)

Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks

The Grizzlies vs. Knicks is a clash of two teams that have been very good against the spread this season. According to TeamRankings.com, the Grizzlies have the second-best ATS record, while the Knicks have the fourth-best ATS record. 

The Knicks' offense could certainly use an improvement, sitting 28th in the NBA in points-for per game, but it is on defense where they have been able to keep things close on many occasions.

The Knicks give up a league-best 104.1 points against per game, and they will need to pull out all the stops against a Memphis team that is finding its stride offensively. The Grizzlies have won four in a row, scoring 120 points or more in three of those games. 

The Grizzlies might have an overall edge offensively, but the Knicks should be able to keep this game close through to the final possession. 

Pick: Knicks (+1.5) 

The Masters: Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson is the reigning champion at Augusta National – but his success at the first major of the year goes back even further.  

Johnson entered the tournament as the favorite to win the Masters, but his odds to win dipped to +2000 at TwinSpires Sports as of Friday morning. They moved again later in the morning to +1600, as live betting on golf or any sport can be fluid throughout the day. 

He didn’t have a great opening round on Thursday, shooting two-over par and sitting tied for 34 as the action resumed for the second round on Friday. A double bogey on the 18th hole at the end of the opening round will certainly leave a bitter taste as Johnson starts his day Friday, but slow starts at Augusta have been nothing new for the current World No. 1

In 2016 and 2018, Johnson opened the Masters with a 73, before moving up the leaderboard. He ended up finishing fourth in 2016 despite that slow start, and 10th in 2018. 

The leaders were, for the most part, not posting low scores. And that should give Johnson a shot at moving up leaderboard with a good round. At odds of +2000, it may be worth a shot. There is certainly more value than his pre-tournament odds of +900. 

Pick: Dustin Johnson (Live Betting +1600)