Rogers' 10* NBA Side of the Day >> 22-14-2 NBA Run
(NBA) Washington vs. Boston,
Point Spread: -6.50 | -110.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The 19-18 Washington Wizards will head to TD Bank Center tonight for a game with the 23-15 Boston Celtics. Washington won its 10th straight home game Tuesday night (101-99 over the Bulls) and climbed above the .500 mark for the first time since it was 6-5 back on Nov. 24, 2015. Meanwhile, Boston's four-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night in Toronto (Raptors won 114-106), as the Celtics missed a chance to inch past the Raptors into second place (via tiebreaker) in the East.

Washington: Moving above the break-even point was a big deal for Washington,considering the Wizards opened the season 7-13 under new head coach Scott Brooks. Winning 12 of the team's last 17 games has Washington headed in the right direction. "It was a real big win to be over .500," forward Markieff Morris, acquired from Phoenix last February, told reporters. "We haven't been over .500 since I got here actually, so it just feels good." PG John Wall recorded the last two of his 26 points with 5.9 seconds left as the Wizards rallied from 18 points down against a short-handed Bulls team. Wall is averaging 23.2-4.4-10.3 on the season and SG Bradley Beal (22.1) scored 19 points to end a streak of four consecutive 20-point efforts and is averaging 23.8 during that span. That's quite a guard combo plus the team's entire starting frontcourt also averages in double digits. Forwards Porter (14.1 & 6.5) and Morris (13.2 & 5.9( surround center Gortat (11.5 & 11.9), who has posted eight consecutive double-digit rebounding efforts and is averaging 13.1 boards during that span.

Boston: The Celtics have been led also season by their backcourt duo, as well. PG Isaiah Thomas (27.9 & 6.1 APG) scored 27 points against Toronto last night (his 22nd straight 20-point game!) but the Celtics gave up 68 points in the second half, blew a 16-point third quarter lead and lost, 114-106. SG Avery Bradley (18.0 & 7.0) could return after a two-game absence fighting an Achilles issue but center Tyler Zeller (4.1 & 2.9) is expected to sit out his sixth straight contest with a sinus infection. That will mean more time for Olynyk (7.9 & 4.0), who backs up FA center Horford (15.3-6.8-4.9).

The pick: Boston's loss to Toronto means the Celtics still haven't beaten a team with a better record yet this season but the Wizards don't own a better record than Boston in this one. The Celtics will be playing with revenge from a loss back in Washington on Nov. 9, when the Wizards spurted to a 26-point first quarter lead and Otto Porter's career night of 34 points and 14 rebounds led the Wizards to an easy 118-93 win. However, the Celtics played without the injured Al Horford and Jae Crowder that night. Of even more relevance, bothe teams playing the second of back-to-back games and while the Celtics are 5-3, winning five of their last six back ends of back-to-backs, the Wizards are just 1-6. Make Boston a 10* play.