A pair of teams trending in opposite directions will square off as the scorching-hot Memphis Grizzlies will make a trip to “The 405” to do battle with a slumping Oklahoma City Thunder team. It is time to take a glimpse at our NBA odds series where our Grizzlies-Thunder prediction and pick will be made.
Boasting the longest winning streak in the NBA that has reached seven games, the Grizzlies are fresh off of one of their most stellar outings in recent memory after absolutely demolishing the Milwaukee Bucks at home 142-101. The elite offensive play now has Memphis averaging 116.5 PPG and it doesn't look like they should be expected to slow down any time soon.
Entering play with on an active five-game losing streak, the Thunder are as desperate as they have been all season-long to come out with a triumphant victory. To make matters worse, OKC has come extremely close to shaking the losing monkey off their backs as they have lost their previous two games by a combined four points. Do the Thunder have what it takes to snap their brutal losing ways?
Here are the Grizzlies-Thunder NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Grizzlies-Thunder Odds
Memphis Grizzlies: -10 (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder: +10 (-110)
Over: 231 (-110)
Under: 231 (-110)
Why The Grizzlies Could Cover The Spread
For starters, the Grizzlies could cover the spread this evening based on how exceptionally they have been playing recently. After taking that next step a year ago that saw Memphis capture the basketball hearts of Tennessee en route to the second-overall seed in the Western Conference, the Grizzlies now have their eyes on the throne out west.
Not only do the Grizzlies possess one of the best young superstars in the entire league, but there are also a bunch of effective role players that call Memphis home. One of these names happens to be Dillon Brooks, who has put the rest of the league on notice with his stingy defensive efforts. Not to mention, his intensity on defense has been a huge reason why the Grizzlies have been able to go streaking over the past couple of weeks.
Against one of Milwaukee's better players in Khris Middleton, Brooks put the clamps on as the Bucks' shooting guard by forcing him to have more turnovers (4) than points (3). Simply put, the way Memphis' offense has been clicking, receiving this kind of performance on the other end of the floor will most likely be all she wrote when it comes to covering the spread.
Other than Brooks proving to be a fierce competitor and a valuable asset on this roster, be on the lookout for Memphis to establish a firm rebounding presence from the opening tip. After proving to be the more physical team against the Bucks by winning the rebounding margin 56-39, there are no teams in the NBA that have corralled more rebounds than the ‘Grizz. As it stands, Memphis averages around 49 rebounds per contest which could spell trouble for an undersized Thunder squad.
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
No question, the Thunder got off to an extremely encouraging start to the season that made many OKC fans believe that they might have what it takes to compete in most games they play. However, their current seven-game losing streak has put that belief in doubt even if the Thunder have looked like a more improved team at times compared to a season ago. In order to cover the spread in this one, Oklahoma City must reverse their fortunes in a big way.
To accomplish this, being aggressive offensively and using shot-fakes to drive to the hole will have to occur. By implementing this strategy, the Thunder can hope to get some of the Grizzlies' impact players in foul trouble and get into the bonus during the early minutes of each quarter. The last time OKC faced off with Memphis back on Dec. 7th, it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that showed no passiveness on his way to a career-high 19 free-throw attempts. He is questionable for tonight.
Obviously the top playmaker on this Oklahoma City team, this one may come down to SGA's ability to go into takeover mode if they want to keep this one close. Luckily, crazier things have happened as the 24-year-old bonafide scorer is fresh off of a 35-point outing in the loss versus Minnesota.
Most importantly, it will prove to be extremely vital for the Thunder to take care of the basketball as their carelessness has gotten in the way far too often. In fact, the Thunder committed a whopping 22 turnovers in their last game and have accumulated 14.0 giveaways each game so far this season.
Final Grizzlies-Thunder Prediction & Pick
As much as a select few bettors would like to see an upset happen here, by no means is it gonna happen against the hottest team in the NBA. Side with the ‘Grizz here and don't question it whatsoever.
Final Grizzlies-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Grizzlies -10 (-110)
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