Sports bettors are always looking for an edge against the books, and a betting strategy that employs specialization is one way to accomplish that goal. To put this theory to the test, I am spending the entire NBA season focusing all of my handicapping efforts on the Washington Wizards. I will also be releasing weekly free picks with the use of Doc's Sports Unit Betting System. My main goal is to earn a long-term profit betting Wizards' games this year.

Doc's will post all my free picks on their homepage, so be sure to check the site to follow along with my progress. Washington has already established itself as one of the top teams in the East this year, and I remain confident that as the season wears on the wins will continue to pile up both on the court and at the betting window.

Washington Wizards Free Picks, Odds and Predictions

Friday, Dec. 5, 7 p.m. EST (Verizon Center)

Washington wraps up its current four-game homestand this Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at the Verizon Center. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (ET), and this game will be broadcast nationally on NBA TV.

The Nuggets have enjoyed an extended break heading into Friday night after losing to Portland this past Tuesday 105-103 as three-point home underdogs. The loss dropped them back to .500 on the year at 9-9 straight up after winning seven of their previous eight games. Against the spread Denver is 8-9-1, and the total has now stayed "under" in its last two games.

Washington has already gone a perfect 3-0 SU (2-1 ATS) in the first three games of this homestand with Wednesday night's 111-95 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers as an 8.5-point home favorite. The Wizards are now 12-5 SU on the year, which is the second-best record in the East. They are still below .500 ATS at 8-9, but they are 7-5 ATS as favorites. The total has stayed "under" in three of their last four contests.

Denver at Washington Betting Storylines

The Nuggets are in second place in the Northwest Division in light of the sudden decline of Oklahoma City, but they remain a middle-of-the-road team in the league. There is no doubt that this lineup can light up the scoreboard with an average of 105.2 points a game, which is ranked fifth in the NBA. However, Denver's lackadaisical approach to playing defense has this team ranked 27^th in the league in points allowed (105.2). It continues to do a good job under the boards with 44.7 rebounds a game.

Ty Lawson leads the Nuggets in scoring with 16.6 points a game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field, and he also leads the team in assists with 10.3. The big man under the boards has been Timofey Mozgov with an average of 7.5 rebounds. The team, as a whole, is shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from 3-point range.

Washington has done a fairly good job putting the ball in the hoop with an average of 98.9 points a game, but the biggest strength of this team is its ability to play defense. The Wizards are ranked fifth in the league in points allowed (95.9) and they are pulling down 42.9 rebounds a game.

The combination of John Wall and Bradley Beal give Washington one of the most productive backcourts in the league. While Beal missed the first nine games of the season, since his return this duo is averaging 33 points a game. Wall is also dishing out 9.6 assists, and Beal is hitting 46.5 percent of his shots from the floor and an impressive 48.1 percent from beyond the arc. Marcin Gortat leads the team in rebounds with 9.1 a game. On the injury front, both Paul Pierce and Nene Hilario remain day-to-day for this game.

Denver at Washington NBA Betting Odds and Key Trends

BetOnline has opened Washington as a four-point home favorite for Friday night's inter-conference clash with Denver. The total for the game is set at 207.

The Nuggets are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games, but they are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games on the road. The total has stayed under in five of their last seven games on the road.

The Wizards are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games against a team from the Northwest Division, and they are 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on a day's rest. The total has stayed under in six of their last seven games played on Friday.

Head-to-head in this inter-conference clash, the home team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings, and the total stayed under in both games of last season's series.

Denver at Washington Free NBA Picks and Betting Predictions

This betting line in this matchup was delayed due to the uncertain playing status of both Pierce and Nene, but even if both of these players remained on the bench for this game, I expected the spread to be a bit higher. Washington is on a roll at home, and the return of Beal to the lineup has made a good team all that much better. I am laying the four points on the Wizards in a 4-Unit play in this one.

4-Unit Play- Take Washington (-4) over Denver

NBA Regular Season Betting Record: 2-3 (-$610)

Read more articles by Dave Schwab