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Who's ready for some more NBA action? On Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies will travel to the largest city in Texas to tip-off with the Houston Rockets. Without further ado, it is time to check out our NBA odds series, where our Grizzlies-Rockets prediction and pick will be made!
Few could argue just how successful the Memphis Grizzlies were a season ago when they rattled off an abundant 56 wins and marched their way to the second overall seed in the Western Conference. Led by the budding superstar himself in Ja Morant, the Grizzlies are more than ready to take that next step among the rest of the contenders in the NBA. Already garnering a 1-0 start in a thrilling 115-112 overtime win versus the Knicks, Memphis is ready to make even more noise this season than they did a year ago.
Unlike Memphis and their winning ways, the Rockets are hoping that they can show some sort of improvement after losing a whopping 62 games last season and boasting the worst record in the entire association. Regardless, Houston was able to add some pieces during the offseason in an attempt to speed up their rebuilding efforts. Despite dropping their season opener to the Hawks by a score of 117-107, head coach Stephen Silas can find some sort of solace that his squad was able to battle and show an abundant amount of moxie despite the defeat.
Here are the Grizzlies-Rockets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Rockets Odds
Memphis Grizzlies: -7 (-108)
Houston Rockets: +7 (-112)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
At first glance, this Grizzlies team is young, confident, and willing to do whatever it takes to win games. This was the case last season when Memphis stormed out of the gates to everyone's surprise and not only punched their ticket to the playoffs, but was one of the top overall units in the entire game. Although they failed to cover the spread against the Knicks on Wednesday, Memphis could be in store for a good ‘ole fashioned rout as they head out on the road for the first time this year.
When it comes to covering the spread, there is no question that the Grizzlies need to continue to run things through Morant. Fresh off of dropping 34 points while dishing out 9 assists and finishing the day by shooting 50% from deep, Morant is no doubt what keeps this team afloat. As great as that is at times, Memphis will certainly look to get other playmakers involved especially after Morant logged in a hefty 38 minutes of playing time, something that is considered quite a lot for game one of a season.
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With that being said, expect shooting guard Desmond Bane to take on some of that responsibility, as he is coming off a shaky performance shooting-wise but was still able to fill the stat sheet with 16 points and a plus/minus of +13. Not to mention, Memphis will need to shoot more effectively as a whole as they only connected on 39% of their shots throughout the game.
Why The Rockets Could Cover The Spread
Surely, not many bettors and fans of basketball are giving the Rockets a fair shot to sneak out a spread-covering victory on Friday, but not so fast my friend! If anything, the Rockets displayed a good amount of resilience for others to give Houston a chance in this one, even though they currently sit as touchdown underdogs. Regardless, Houston should be a slightly improved squad from a year ago, and if all things go right, the Rockets should definitely have what it takes to get the job done.
To begin, the Rockets did a whole lot of good in their loss against the Hawks, but the one thing they struggled mightily with was their inability to hit enough of their three-point attempts. When the clock hit triple zeroes on Wednesday, Houston had shot only 9-35 from downtown, which is only 25%. Clearly, the Rockets will need to get hot from deep if they want a chance to outscore the Grizzlies later tonight.
In addition, it will be of utmost importance for Houston to win the turnover battle. With a total of 16 giveaways in their opening game, the Rockets must put the pressure on a Memphis offense that was second in the league in scoring with over 115.6 points per game. Simply put, Houston cannot afford to get lazy and be careless with the basketball.
Lastly, the Rockets' best chance at covering the spread will come in the form of SG Kevin Porter Jr., who dropped 21 points on 9-19 shooting to lead all Houston scorers. If Porter Jr can get it going early, then look out!
Final Grizzlies-Rockets Prediction & Pick
Even though the Rockets are the home team in this one, this matchup presents numerous challenges for a squad whose average age on the roster sits in the mid-20s. Still trying to figure out their identity, side with the Grizzlies in this one, and their ability to make plays when they matter most.
Final Grizzlies-Rockets Prediction & Pick: Grizzlies -7 (-108)
