NBA Play-In: San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies Preview, Odds, Prediction

On one side, we have the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that has been on the rise. On the other, the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise that experienced a downfall in recent time. Wednesday’s clash decides which of these two teams continues its fight for the playoffs. The game takes place in Tennessee, the home of the Grizzlies, but to be honest, this factor isn’t that decisive in recent times since there is no usual atmosphere coming from the stands.

Preview

San Antonio Spurs (+145) closed the regular season with four straight losses, and even though they had a rough schedule (Nets, Knicks, and Suns twice), we can’t justify this poor streak in any way. The whole NBA community expected more from Gregg Popovich and his boys.

The latest match at home saw the Spurs losing at home to Phoenix, 123-121, with E’Twaun Moore drilling a three with 2.2 seconds to go and handing his side a big win over the fierce rivals. Even though the Spurs scored 36 points in the final 12 minutes, they allowed 34, meaning that their defense has been pretty weak.

The key moment of the match was the third period, during which Phoenix came back from a double-digit deficit, outscoring San Antonio 37-24. DeRozan scored 23 points, while Jakob Poeltl added 17 with 10 boards. The three-point shooting was the main problem for the hosts, who made just seven of 24 attempts.

Memphis Grizzlies (-165) are among the most talented teams in the NBA, and we can’t wait to see how they develop in the next few seasons. Taylor Jenkins has numerous youngsters in his crew, and some of them have the potential to become regular All-Star participants.

Following a five-game winning streak, the Grizzlies lost against the Warriors in the matchup that decided which team takes the 8th position in the West. They simply couldn’t stop Steph Curry, who dropped 46 points.

Jonas Valanciunas had 29 points and 16 boards, shooting 12-for-15 from the floor. He’s become one of the focal points of Memphis’s attack in recent times, and more than a big man who does all the dirty work under the rim. Dillon Brooks scored 18 and Ja Morant 16. The Grizzlies’ bench had just 14 points, which could be referred to as the biggest reason for the loss in that game.

Head to Head

The two sides met on the season opener, and the Spurs beat the Grizzlies in Tennessee, 131-119. But after that, Memphis bounced back, winning in the next two games, both of them in Texas. Those were on back-to-back nights, the first on January 30, 129-112, and the second on the very next night, 133-102.

Prediction

Our money here is on the Grizzlies, who are looking much, much better at the moment. San Antonio lost four matches in a row, and is without any chemistry on the floor, which can’t be said for the Grizzlies. They lack experience but are perfect when it comes to working together during the game. Their form is perfectly targeted for this part of the season, unlike their rivals in Wednesday’s event. Therefore, bet on hosts’ victory.