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The extremely short-handed Memphis Grizzlies will look to keep their top-seeded hopes alive as they head on the road to the Alamo City to do battle with a familiar foe in the division rival San Antonio Spurs. Let's check out our NBA odds series, where our Grizzlies-Spurs prediction and pick will be made.
Trying to navigate through the Ja Morant controversy while also missing out on the services of big man Steven Adams and also seeing Brandon Clarke go down for the remainder of the season due to an Achilles tear, Memphis has done their best to navigate the treacherous storm by reeling off wins in three of their previous four outings. Despite falling short to the Heat in which Memphis allowed a whopping 138 points, the Grizzles are doing a commendable job in keeping their heads above water.
With one of the worst records in the Western Conference and all of the NBA for that matter, the Spurs come into Friday's contest sitting at 18-51 and are eager more than ever to book some tee times this summer as soon as possible. All jokes aside, San Antonio has been fairly average lately going 4-4 over their last eight games, so don't expect the Spurs to lay down and die this evening.
Here are the Grizzlies-Spurs NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Spurs Odds
Memphis Grizzlies: -8.5 (-108)
San Antonio Spurs: +8.5 (-112)
Over: 234.5 (-110)
Under: 234.5 (-110)
How To Watch Grizzlies vs. Spurs
TV: Bally Sports Midwest/ Bally Sports South
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
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Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
Coming into play entrenched as the three-seed out west and only trailing the Kings by half a game for the second overall spot, there is no question that these are the types of games that the Grizzlies need to have if they want to be taken seriously among the elites in the NBA. Unfortunately, Memphis is 13-22 on the road this season in comparison to their extremely productive 28-5 mark at home, so the Grizzlies will need to be dialed in all game long in order to avoid a massive letdown in San Antonio.
If Memphis is going to take care of business by also finding a way to cover the spread, don't be surprised if the Grizzlies make it a priority to play a full four quarters without appearing lackadaisical. In fact, this may be the overall difference between covering and not, as the Grizzlies lost control of the game in Miami when they allowed the Heat to score 42 points in the third quarter. Even in facing off with a bad Spurs team on the road will require extreme focus especially since Memphis has struggled so mightily away from home this season.
Not to mention, but some unlikely heroes will need to step up as Morant continues to serve his eight-game suspension. At the moment, the best player on the floor for Memphis happens to be All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr, as the ferocious 23-year-old's ability to be a strong two-way hooper on both ends of the floor proves to give opposing teams fits. Fresh off of pouring in 25 points versus Miami, look for Jackson Jr. to electrify the ‘Grizz both offensively and defensively.
Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
While the Spurs don't have much to play for at this point other than pride, San Antonio could certainly send shockwaves around the league with a spreads-covering victory over their division counterparts! So far this season, the Spurs remain winless versus Memphis with an 0-3 record, so San Antonio could be due to treat their home fans to a win to kick off the weekend.
First things first, there is no question that the Spurs are going to want to make life miserable for Memphis by storming out of the gates with a fiery start. Alas, this will undoubtedly start on the defensive end of the floor, as even though the Spurs have struggled stopping teams all year long, forcing turnovers resulting in transition points on the other end will end up being the recipe for success.
After missing four members of the roster due to injury in the overtime loss to the Mavericks, the Spurs should see the return of guys like Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins, Keita Bates-Diop, and Devin Vassell to the lineup. Considering how shorthanded the Grizzlies will be in this game and the foreseeable future for that matter, San Antonio should have the advantage here with more bodies able to suit up for action.
If all else fails, one intriguing statistic to keep in mind if bettors want to side with the Spurs is that San Antonio does happen to turn the ball over at an alarming rate, so playing cleanly and not making mistakes when they have the ball will be huge in covering versus Memphis.
Final Grizzlies-Spurs Prediction & Pick
With the line set at 8.5, it seems difficult to put trust in a Grizzlies squad that is difficult to predict each night out on the floor. Believe it or not, but siding with the Spurs to cover at home is the pick here.
Final Grizzlies-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Spurs +8.5 (-112)
