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We're back with another prediction and pick for Saturday's slate of NBA action. We head towards the Southeast as the Memphis Grizzlies (0-2) are set to take on the Washington Wizards (0-1) will both teams searching for their first win on the new season. Check out our NBA odds series for our Grizzlies-Wizards prediction and pick.
The Memphis Grizzlies are winless through two games after dropping their two home openers to the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets. It's certainly a surprising start for them and they'll have to make due for a while without their two best players in Ja Morant and Steven Adams. Still, the Grizzlies are a dangerous team and we saw how well they fared last year without their star point guard, so expect a good game here.
The Washington Wizards took a bad loss in their season opener against the Indiana Pacers and gave up a league-high 143 points in the poor showing. They'll have added reinforcements this season and they're hoping that newly-acquired Jordan Poole can break out as their leading scorer now that he has more time with the ball in his hands. Look for them to put up a ton of points in this game.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Wizards Odds
Memphis Grizzlies: -1.5 (-108)
Washington Wizards: +1.5 (-112)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
How to Watch Grizzlies vs. Wizards
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
TV: Monumental Sports Network, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
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Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
We all knew Ja Morant's absence would be felt by this team, but no loss is greater than that of Steven Adams being done with season-ending surgery. He is their anchor in the paint on both sides of the ball and his ability to set screens is a massive part of how the Grizzlies like to run their offense. Michigan State teammates Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman will see a lot of time on the floor together as Tillman steps up in Adams' place, so expect there to be some good synergy between the two when playing down low.
Desmond Bane has been carrying the scoring load for the first two games, but he'll need to see more production from his teammates if they want to have a respectable record for when Ja Morant makes his return. Marcus Smart will have to become their leader in the time-being and Derrick Rose should prove to be an important acquisition in trying to replicate some of Morant's game. If the Grizzlies can play as a team and work from inside the paint and out, they should be able to hang in as the slight favorites.
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
The Wizards weren't expecting the Pacers to score points at such a high rate, but they did a good job of keeping up and scoring in their own right. Kyle Kuzma was once again their leading scorer with 25 points and it's clear that he has become the leader on this team. The additions of Jordan Poole and Marcus Smart should do a lot in terms of giving this team some spark on the offensive end with Poole and on the defensive perimeter with Smart. Given their tough-nosed defensive players, the Wizards could end up giving the Grizzlies fits if they can force some turnovers in this one.
Jordan Poole went 0-6 from three in their season opener as the team struggling to hit shots beyond the arc as a whole. For this game, they should focus more on finding high-percentage looks down low and feeding the ball inside to draw fouls. The Grizzlies are already short-handed, so the Wizards should look to play aggressively and pound the ball inside. If they can jump out to a lead early, it's hard to imagine them losing it without Memphis having a pure scorer like Ja Morant to turn towards. Washington will enjoy having Kuzma or Poole on the court in case they need some buckets in a hurry.
Final Grizzlies-Wizards Prediction & Pick
Both of these teams suffered bad losses already and they'll both be eager to grab their first win on the season. It's tough to see anything solid forming for the Grizzlies as they play without Morant. They were actually pretty good without him last year, but the loss of Steven Adams makes Morant's absence felt even more.
For our prediction, let's go with the Washington Wizards to grab this win at home. They have too many options for scoring the basketball and it's just a matter of time before one of their players pops off for a big total.
Final Grizzlies-Wizards Prediction & Pick: Washington Wizards +1.5 (-112)
