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The Indiana Pacers are on the tail-end of a back-to-back as they head south to take on the Memphis Grizzlies. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Pacers-Grizzlies prediction and pick.
The Pacers are coming off a buzzer-beating 110-109 loss to the Sacramento Kings. They were about to close in on the win until Damian Jones hit a tip-in shot to seal the game with less than a second left on the clock. Buddy Hield scored 25 points, shooting 10 for 15 from the field. Additionally, Goga Bitadze contributed with 20 points, on 9 for 12 shooting. Tyrese Haliburton chipped in with 13 points, while also distributing 15 assists. The offense was solid, but the defense struggled. The Pacers allowed the Kings to shoot 52.4 percent from the field and could not grab the rebound on the last play. Now, Indiana makes the quick turnaround and heads south to face the playoff-bound Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies defeated the Brooklyn Nets 132-120 on Wednesday night. Desmond Bane led the scoring as he had 23 points, shooting 8 for 17 from the field. He was red-hot from the 3-point line, shooting 6 for 10. Additionally, De'Anthony Melton chipped in off the bench with 23 points on 8 for 13 shooting. Likewise, he also went 6 for 10 from beyond the arc. Also, Dillon Brooks put up 21 points, shooting 7 for 21 from the field. Despite not having all-star Ja Morant available, the Grizzlies thoroughly dominated this game, leading 76-62 at the half. Morant has missed time with a sore right knee and is undergoing an MRI to determine the next steps. The Grizzlies are 15-2 without Morant, the third-highest winning percentage for a team playing without its top all-star. Memphis is the second seed in the Western Conference with nine games left to play.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Pacers-Grizzlies odds:
NBA Odds: Pacers-Grizzlies Odds
Pacers: +12.5 (-110)
Grizzlies: -12.5 (-110)
Over: 236 (-110)
Under: 236 (-110)
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Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
Indiana has struggled this season, as it has fallen below expectations. However, the Pacers have been solid on the tail-end of back-to-back games. Indiana is 6-5 in this position, including wins over top teams like the Miami Heat, Utah Jazz, and Golden State Warriors. The wins over Utah and Golden State were on the road. Despite those accolades, the Pacers could not keep up with the Grizzlies in the last matchup.
The Grizzlies demolished Indiana on the road despite not having Morant. The Pacers shot 37.5 percent from the field in that contest and just 20 percent from the 3-point line. Hield led the Pacers with 14 points on 6 for 13 shooting. The Pacers lost the turnover battle 21-10. The Pacers will try and repeat that against Indiana.
They are middle-of-the-pack in field goal percentage, as Indiana is 14th. The Pacers also have done well on the boards, ranking 12th. The Pacers will cover the spread if they covert their field goal opportunities and control the boards. If Indiana can tighten the hatches on defense, it will stay in the game with Memphis, and maybe even steal it.
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
Memphis is what most teams aspire to be. The Grizzlies have continued to roll, despite the absence of Morant. He did not play in the last matchup with Indiana, and the Grizzlies still controlled the game from the start to finish. Bane was an enormous factor.
He scored 21 points, shooting 7 for 12 from the field. Bane also shot 4 for 7 from the triples and distributed six assists. He is averaging 20.8 points per game and has been the anchor that has held the ship together Additionally, Jaren Jackson Jr. contributed with 19 points on 8 for 16 shooting. He also had eight rebounds and three blocks. Melton shined again with 18 points, shooting 7 for 14 from the field. He hit half of his three-point shots, going 4 for 8 from beyond the arc. He has come up big when the Grizzlies have not had Morant available, averaging 12.4 points per game, taking his game to the next level. Memphis has succeeded because of its ability to score, rebound and defend.
The Grizzlies are the top team in the league in overall points. Memphis also ranks first in rebounding and blocked shots. The Grizzlies will cover the spread easily if they can score, win the battle on the boards and defend well.
Final Pacers-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick
Both teams are coming off a back-to-back. But the difference here is that Indiana is preparing for next season, while Memphis has NBA Finals aspirations. Also, the Grizzlies pummeled the Pacers on the road in the last showdown and subsequently did it without Morant. They will once again not have Morant available but do have a plethora of weapons to win comfortably for the second time, sweeping the season series for the first time since 2015.
Final Pacers-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick: Memphis -12.5
