The Memphis Grizzlies travel to Staples Center to take on the LA Clippers in a battle of teams in playoff position.
The Grizzlies are hanging on to the 8th seed while also trying to get an outright entry to the postseason by catching the Portland Trail Blazers who are currently just 2.5 games ahead of them in the team standings. The Clippers did the Grizzlies a favor by beating the Blazers on Tuesday.
The win was Los Angeles’ ninth in their last 10 games and second straight after a close loss to the Sixers. These teams have split their first two meetings of the season 1-1 with both games played in Memphis.
The Memphis Grizzlies are hoping they will get to the playoffs this year. The Grizzlies held the 8th spot for most of last season before losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first-ever play-in tournament. At 29-27, Memphis is just 2.5 games off 6th seeded Portland and an outright entry to the playoffs. However, they will have to win as many games as they can with the regular season winding down.
In their last game, the Grizzlies dropped a double-overtime thriller against the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic went amok and the Memphis defense could not contain the leading MVP candidate. Ja Morant had 36 points and 12 assists while De’Anthony Melton and Grayson Allen added 25 and 24 points, respectively.
Memphis is ranked 11th in the league in scoring at 113.8 points per game and they have the league’s 10th best scoring defense at 110.9 points per game allowed. The Grizzlies also rank 4th in rebounding at 46.3 boards grabbed per contest and are second overall in passing at 27.2 assists per game.
The LA Clippers are in a must-win mode this season after failing to live up to their hype during the previous campaign. The Clippers currently have the third-best record in the Western Conference at 41-19 and they are just three games behind the Utah Jazz for homecourt advantage throughout the entire postseason. The Clippers are playing their best basketball of the season as they have won 14 out of their last 17 games.
In their last game, the Clippers went toe to toe with the Portland Trail Blazers and emerged with a thrilling 113-112 win. Paul George took over with Kawhi Leonard out and he scored 33 points including the game-winning free throws with 4.8 seconds left in the game. Marcus Morris added 16 points and 6 rebounds while Rajon Rondo had 9 points and 7 assists.
The Clippers are the 5th best scoring team in the NBA at 115.0 points per game scored and they also have the league’s 6th best defense at 109.1 points per game allowed. The Clippers are ranked 14th in rebounding at 44.2 boards pulled down per contest and are 17th in passing at 4.5 dimes per outing.
Memphis is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. The Grizzlies are 5-2 SU in their last seven games played at home, and 3-2 SU in their last five games as the betting underdog. Los Angeles is 9-1 SU in their last 10 games played. The Clippers are 6-0 SU in their last six games played at the Staples Center, and 9-0 SU in their last nine games as betting favorites. Head to head, the Clippers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games played against the Grizzlies and 4-1 in their last five meetings at Staples Center.
The Grizzlies need this game more than the Clippers because they are trying to stay on that 8th spot while also trying to catch Portland who is just 2.5 games ahead of them at no. 6. But Memphis will be at a disadvantage as it will be without two of its Top 3 scorers in Valanciunas and Brooks.
The Clippers are also without Leonard but Paul George has been red hot in his last 10 games played and we saw him deliver the big blows in Tuesday’s win over the Blazers. Los Angeles also has more firepower on its roster than Memphis and they also have the better defense between these two teams. The Grizzlies will not go down without a fight but in the end, there will be too much of PG13 here.
Prediction: LA Clippers
The Grizzlies are 5-0 ATS in their last five games played, 6-0 ATS in their last six games as betting underdogs, and 4-0 ATS in their last four games as road betting underdogs. Memphis is also 7-0 ATS in their last seven games played against an opponent with a winning SU record, 7-1 ATS in their last eight games played, and 5-1 ATS in their last six games against an opponent with a winning home record.
The Clippers are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 5-1 ATS in their last six home games, 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games when playing on zero days rest, 5-1 ATS in their last six games against an opponent with a winning road record, and 5-1 ATS in their last six games as home favorites. The Clippers are also 37-16 ATS in their last 53 games after failing to cover the spread in their previous game.
At first glance, Memphis is a good bet here with the Clippers playing on back-to-back nights. But Los Angeles has thrived in these situations this season, covering in nine of 11 such instances. The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard but the Grizzlies will also be without Jonas Valanciunas and Dillon Brooks. The Clippers are on a roll and Paul George has averaged over 28 points in his last 10 games while shooting 48% from deep. This is as good as the Clippers have played all season long. You have to ride with that.
Prediction: LA Clippers -1
The over is 4-0 in the last four games played by Memphis, 4-0 in their last four games after scoring 100 or more points in their previous game, 4-0 in their last four games as underdogs, 5-0 in their last five road games against an opponent with a winning home record. The total has gone over in each of their last seven games after an ATS win. The Grizzlies have also played to the over in 23 out of their last 32 Wednesday games.
The total has gone over in 31 out of the Clippers’ 60 games played this season. The over is also 17-13-1 in their 31 home games played this season, 4-2 in their last six games as home favorites, and 10-3 in their last 13 Wednesday home games. Head to head, the total has gone over in six out of their last eight meetings at Staples Center.
The Clippers are the 5th best scoring team in the NBA. They have gone over 125 points in four out of their last six games and are coming off a 124-point effort against the Timberwolves. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies are no slouch on offense either as they are 11th in the league in scoring. Memphis has scored above 125 points in each of their last three contests and scored 137 points in their loss to the Nuggets in double overtime on Monday.
Los Angeles has a Top 10 defense but when they’re feeling it, they are not afraid to engage their opponents in a track meet. This one should be the case with the Clippers really red hot right now. Give me these teams to hit the over in this game.
Prediction: Over 227
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