The New Orleans Pelicans will take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pelicans-Grizzlies prediction and pick.
These teams have had nearly opposite seasons. The Pelicans began the year as one of the worst teams in the entire NBA, but they've turned things around recently. New Orleans has managed to play their way to a 27-37 record, good for the tenth seed in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have been one of the best teams in the entire league. Memphis has surprised just about everyone by going 44-22 and earning the second seed in the hotly contested West. This is the perfect matchup to keep things rolling for the Grizzlies, so let's get into the pick.
Here are the Pelicans-Grizzlies NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pelicans-Grizzlies Odds
New Orleans Pelicans: +6.5 (-110)
Memphis Grizzlies: -6.5 (-110)
Over: 230.5 (-110)
Under: 230.5 (-110)
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Why The Pelicans Could Cover The Spread
Surprisingly, the Pelicans are one of the hottest teams in the league right now. They've won four of their last five contests, including huge victories over the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz. Their only loss in their last five contests came against the Denver Nuggets in an overtime contest. This Pelicans team has been playing well since before the All-Star Break, so they certainly have momentum on their side in this matchup. The same can't be said about the Grizzlies, who just dropped a game to the lowly Houston Rockets. This matchup looks primed to be a close one.
Article Continues BelowNew Orleans' offense will keep things tight here. This unit has been steadily improving since the acquisition of guard CJ McCollum, and Memphis isn't exactly a great defensive team. The Grizzlies allow almost 110 points per game while giving up a 45% shooting percentage from the field. They also just gave up 123 points to the Rockets, one of the worst offensive teams in all of basketball.
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
Luckily for the Grizzlies, the Pelicans have also had trouble stopping opposing offenses. New Orleans allows their opponents to achieve some of the best shooting percentages in the league, while also allowing opponents to shoot the fourth-most shot attempts in the league. The fast-paced Grizzlies attack should play well against this Pelicans defense, especially since New Orleans commits nearly 15 turnovers per game. That should allow the Grizzlies to play in transition early and often, a phase they are particularly good in.
Home court advantage will certainly play a big part in this contest. The Grizzlies are an impressive 22-10 at home, one of the better records in the NBA. Memphis has also gone 20-12 against the spread in FedEx Forum, one of the best home records ATS in the league. New Orleans is currently 12-20 on the road and 15-17 against the spread as the away team. Home turf is a huge advantage for the Grizzlies, and it'll show in this game.
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Final Pelicans-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick
While the Pelicans have been hot lately, this spread is too small to trust them with. The Grizzlies are still the far superior team, and they should cover this single-digit spread with ease. Lock in Memphis with confidence.
Final Pelicans-Grizzlies Prediction & Pick: Memphis Grizzlies: -6.5 (-110)