NBA: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Memphis Grizzlies continue their run through the East in Cleveland, where they meet with the injury-ravaged Cavaliers. The Cavs have opened the year very well, but as time went by, they lost several of their big contributors, including Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio, who are both out for the season. Though, they are still playing well and are positioned very high in the Eastern Conference standings. The Grizzlies are doing their thing pretty well, and the last night’s win over the Nets in Brooklyn is a confirmation of their excellent form.

Preview

Memphis Grizzlies (24-14, +125) come as underdogs in this one. The reason for that is lack of time for regenerating following last night’s victory in Brooklyn, 118-104. It was the fifth consecutive triumph for Taylor Jenkins’ squad, who beat the Suns, the Lakers, Spurs, and the Kings.

The Grizzlies would annihilate the Nets on the glass, posting 61 boards, compared to only 33 of the hosts. Believe it or not, Memphis had 23 offensive boards, only two fewer than the number of Nets’ defensive rebounds.

Ja Morant scored 36 points with eight assists and six boards, Desmond Bane added 29 with eight boards, while Brandon Clarke had 16 off the bench. Bane established himself as one very reliable player, and he spends almost 30 minutes on the floor, averaging 17.2 points while shooting 41.3% from deep. On top of that, his free-throw shooting is 92.3%

Cleveland Cavaliers (21-16, -145) snapped a three-game losing skid against the Pacers at home, 108-104. Previously, the Cavs lost to the Pelicans, Wizards, and the Hawks. Rubio’s injury has been a major blow for this unit, and they won’t recover that easily from it.

The top contender for the Rookie of the Year award, Evan Mobley was dominant against the Pacers, scoring 24 points and adding nine boards. The young center missed only five of his 16 shots from the field, and was an enigma for the Pacers’ crew.

Veteran Kevin Love had 20 buckets with eight rebounds and four assists, while Jarrett Allen scored 18 with 11 boards. All these guys have been the reason for the Cavs’ domination inside the paint, where they outscored the Pacers 58-26. With all the backcourt players injured, this will be Cleveland’s only weapon in the remaining part of the campaign.

Head to Head Games

These two sides met on October 20, early into the season. The Grizzlies won at home 132-121, in one very interesting and explosive matchup that saw numerous dunks, rejections and attractive plays. Morant scored 37 for the hosts, Bane 22, and DeAnthony Melton 20. On the other side, the Cavs had seven players with 10 or more points, Jarrett Allen being the top scorer with 25.

Prediction

The guests might be tired, but the home side is shredded with injuries and absences. They don’t have the needed balance to stop the Grizzlies, who are very diverse in the attack. We already mentioned that this is Memphis’ greatest advantage over other teams. In our opinion, without a decent playmaker, the Cavs can’t compete with the Grizzlies, and we are going here against the bookmakers’ assessments, picking the guests to win.

Pick: Grizzlies +125