Washington at Atlanta

The Washington Wizards waited a long time to get their first win, but sometimes all it takes is getting that first one to lift the emotions of a team. They have now won two out of their last three with the last one an impressive win over Miami. I expect this team to be playing at a higher level for a while, and that means that this big number on the road at Atlanta is very manageable. They also lost by a single point in overtime to the Hawks earlier in the season, so they will feel confident they can win here. The Hawks have been guilty of playing down to the level of competition and are 1-8 ATS in their last nine at home vs. a team with a losing road record, and will get caught again here in this one. Play on Washington.