Wall-Irving Duel Takes Center Stage in February Matchup | IXGAMES
While a worthy head-to-head matchup if nothing else, this week’s Eastern Conference clash between the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers marks the opportunity for two bubble playoff contenders to kick off the second half of their season on the right foot. Where they fall on the NBA futures after that, then, is very much up in the air. While it’s hard not to give the Wizards the benefit of the doubt considering that they currently find themselves in the playoff picture, it wasn’t long ago when the Cavs were regarded as the more likely postseason candidate. In the sportsbook the Wiz have 100/1 odds of winning the NBA championship, but Cleveland intrigues further down the list at 300/1. On paper the battle of John Wall and Kyrie Irving is one of the best that basketball fans could ask for. We know this isn’t LeBron James versus Kevin Durant, though, and while both Wall and Irving are regarded as some of the game’s brightest young stars, it’s very much an off-the-radar affair. That means basketball bettors interested in getting a better look at two of the next generation’s guards will welcome the February contest between dueling franchises with open arms. The Wizards may be playoff-bound today while the Cavs are on the outside looking in, but that could change several times over before the end of the regular season.