Tip-off: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

Both the Suns and Wizards will be hoping to get back on track when the teams meet in Washington on Monday.

Phoenix and Washington have both been lousy to start the year, but the teams could not be more different. The Suns have a young roster and are currently in the middle of a rebuilding stage, but the Wizards can’t use that same excuse. This Washington team has had the same core for years and the season would be a huge disappointment if the Wizards were to miss the playoffs. With that being the case, Monday night represents a great opportunity for Washington to get back into the win column. The Suns have, however, played the Wizards well over the years. The teams have met four times over the past three seasons and they have split wins SU, but Phoenix is 3-1 ATS in those games. The Wizards have won the past two games against the Suns SU, though, and they’ll be confident when they take the court on Monday. One interesting trend coming into this game is the fact that Phoenix is 8-1 Over when playing against teams that allow 103 or more points per game this season. As for some significant injuries in this contest, SF TJ Warren (Illness) and C Tyson Chandler (Personal) are listed as questionable for the Suns. If they were to miss this game then Washington would have no excuse for coming up short at home.

If Phoenix is going to come away with a win over Washington on Monday then PG Eric Bledsoe (17.4 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.1 SPG) is going to need to be on his game. Bledsoe had 27 points, six assists and five boards against the Sixers on Saturday, and he’ll need to be similarly effective in this game. His matchup with John Wall is going to go a long way in determining the outcome of this game, and it’s crucial that he holds his own. SG Devin Booker (19.2 PPG) is Phoenix’s most dangerous scorer, though. Booker is, however, dealing with a banged up ankle, so he is averaging just 11.5 PPG over the past two contests. The Suns need him to play to his fullest capabilities in this one, as he has a very good opportunity to score some points on Monday. He has a serious size advantage over Bradley Beal, and he must find a way to utilize that. On the inside, the Suns need C Alex Len (8.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG) to play well in this game. Len should see big minutes with Tyson Chandler unavailable, and he has played well in extended time. Over the past five games, Len is averaging 9.0 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 1.6 BPG in 23.0 MPG. It’d be surprising if he didn’t show up on Monday.

The Wizards have struggled out the gate, but this is a talented team and they are more than capable of turning things around. PG John Wall (24.0 PPG, 8.3 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG) should help the team in a winnable home game on Monday. Wall has been on a tear recently, as he is averaging 28.0 PPG over the past three games. Wall shot the ball extremely well in those contests, hitting nine of his 14 shots from the outside in those games. If he can keep shooting the ball with that type of accuracy then the Wizards are going to be tough to beat. SG Bradley Beal (17.8 PPG) will, however, need to help him. Beal was great against the Heat on Saturday, scoring 34 pointes in 40 minutes. He will, however, need to be more consistent for this team, and he’ll also need to find a way to slow down Booker on Monday. C Marcin Gortat (11.5 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.3 BPG) is the x-factor for this Wizards team on Monday, though. Gortat has a huge strength advantage over Alex Len, and he should be able to bully him around the basket. The Wizards would be wise to feed him early on, as he could really have a big game.