NBA: Memphis Grizzlies vs. LA Lakers Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Memphis Grizzlies have back-to-back nights, with the second one coming in LA against the Lakers. The team from Tennessee started the campaign with two wins, while on the other side, one of the top candidates for the title posted two losses. Yet, that isn’t the biggest problem for the purple and gold. The tension on the bench between Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis indicates that there are much deeper problems in the team than we see.

Preview

Memphis Grizzlies (+210) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on the opening night, before beating the LA Clippers at STAPLES, where they await the game against the second team from the City of Angels. Taylor Jenkins’ boys posted a 120-114 triumph, despite Paul George’s 41 points. This game was a roller coaster, with Memphis on one side leading 16 points, and the Clips 14.

The Grizzlies had all of their starters dropping at least 17 points, which was the key to a win. Morant scored 28 with eight assists; Melton had 22, and Jaren Jackson Jr 21. Stephen Adams was very good with 17 points, nine boards, and five assists, while Desmond Bane added 19.

The guests’ backcourt was in the mood for dropping threes, with Bane and Melton hitting four each, while Jackson added three more. Apart from Adams, each player can hit multiple shots from downtown, which is a great advantage for Jenkins.

LA Lakers (-260) already slipped twice, and when adding the losses from the preseason, they now have five defeats in a row. But that is not the problem for Frank Vogel. The chemistry in the locker room is.

It appears that the tension is very high, and the incident between Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard revealed that. On the other side, Russell Westbrook struggles to fit in. He played better against the Suns than against the Warriors, missing a triple-double for one assist, 15 points, 11 boards, and nine dimes, but shooting 6-for-15 from the floor and 3-for-8 from the FT line. LBJ had 25 points, Anthony Davis 22 with 14 boards, while Carmelo added 16 off the bench.

Losing to the Warriors and the Suns hurts too much, because these two teams are one of the direct rivals for the West title and the NBA title in general. Therefore, defeating the Grizzlies, who aren’t in the top echelon, is a must for this unit.

Head to Head

The purple and gold won all three games last year, two in Memphis and one in LA. The results were 108-94, 94-92, and 115-105.

Prediction

The pressure on the Lakers is very high, and the eyes of the entire NBA community set in their direction. Particulary following Davis-Howard dispute. Because of that, we wouldn’t bet on their win here, even though the odds suggest that it is a logical choice. Instead, the line for Over/Under 220.5 points, looks more tempting for betting on Over. The Lakers have to start producing more points in order to win, while on the other side, the Grizzlies are already in great shape when it comes to the offensive part of the game. They dropped 252 points combined in the first two events.

Pick: Over 220.5 points