Subscribe
Follow Us
The Memphis Grizzlies visit San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors for Game 3 of their Western Conference semi-finals series. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Grizzlies-Warriors prediction and pick we have laid out below.
This Grizzlies-Warriors series has only gone two games, but it is undoubtedly the most entertaining one of the second round so far. The Grizzlies avoided disaster by winning Game 2 led by Ja Morant's 47-point explosion to tie the series as 1-1. The Warriors, meanwhile, missed a golden opportunity to head back home with a 2-0 series lead. They had a 95-91 lead before Ja Morant took over and outscored the entire Golden State team 15-6 in the final 4:16 of the game. Stephen Curry paced the Dubs with 27 points, but he shot just 3-of-11 from deep and 11-of-25 overall from the field.
Here are the Grizzlies-Warriors Game 3 NBA Playoffs odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Playoffs Odds: Grizzlies-Warriors Odds
Memphis Grizzlies: +7 (-110)
Golden State Warriors: -7 (-110)
Over: 225.5 (-110)
Under: 225.5 (-110)
*Watch NBA Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
With the way this series has gone so far, the Grizzlies could very well still cover the seven-point spread. They have proven all season long and even throughout these playoffs that they won't go away even when facing huge deficits throughout the game. That's why it will be hard to count out Memphis at any point with the way they've come back from double-digit leads. And though they lost Game 1 by the slimmest of margins, they did manage to erase a 10-point Warriors lead in the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies were the third-best road team in the NBA, with an away record of 26-15. Memphis has beaten Golden State at Chase Center this season and they did win the play-in game versus the Warriors on the road, so they know what it takes to win in that building.
The Grizzlies will obviously benefit from the absence of Gary Payton II, who suffered a fractured elbow as a result of the flagrant foul penalty 2 committed by Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks. But while the Warriors will miss Payton's energy and hustle, Memphis will also be without Brooks. The league has handed down the necessary punishment for the Canadian, suspending him for Saturday's game.
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
This is a rather large spread to cover, considering this has been such a close series throughout. Nonetheless, there is a case for Golden State to win this game with a more comfortable margin. For starters, they are playing in front of a raucous Chase Center crowd. Though nothing compares to the old Oracle Arena in Oakland, the San Francisco-based arena can turn up the volume with the best of them. This should give the older Warriors the energy they need against the young and athletic Grizzlies.
In addition, the Warriors only lost by five and very much could have won a game where they shot 7-of-38 from long range. Curry, Thompson, and Poole combined for 7-of-36 of that tally. The Warriors have to feel pretty good despite the loss considering the way those three shot from beyond the arc. With the elite marksmanship between them, there's no way they go that cold from long range again, especially playing in front of their home crowd.
Klay Thompson, in particular, has had a rough series so far. Though he did make huge plays in Game 1 with the defense on Morant and the go-ahead triple, he did miss a couple of important free throws and shot 6-of-19 from the field. He followed that up with an abysmal Game 2 performance, where he shot just 2-of-12 from three and committed a crucial turnover down the stretch. In the series, Thompson has made just 5-of-22 from downtown. Look for him to bounce back and not force much of his offense, as opposed to what he's done in the first two games.
Unfortunately, Golden State will be without Gary Payton II. He is Golden State's best option on defense versus Ja Morant. Payton wasn't the only victim of Memphis' physical play. Draymond Green drew blood while catching an elbow from Xavier Tillman in the very next possession following Payton's injury. With the way Payton went down and the physicality the Grizzlies brought in Game 2, the Warriors should enter Saturday with a nastier edge.
Final Grizzlies-Warriors Prediction & Pick
I'll go with the Warriors to win and do so convincingly. They should enter with a hungrier mindset on Saturday with what happened to their fallen brother. And the way they shot in Game 2 suggests they could be ripe for an explosion from beyond the arc.
Final Grizzlies-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Warriors: -7 (-110)
