The Memphis Grizzlies make the trip to the Bay Area to test the defending champions Golden State Warriors in a battle between Western Conference teams at the Oracle Arena on Monday night.
The Memphis Grizzlies were off to a fine start this season but they have struggled lately and enter this game with four losses in their last five games including two home losses in row, suffered against the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets. Memphis has now fallen to 8th place in the Western Conference team standings.
Memphis is the 3rd lowest scoring team in the league at just 102.5 points per game. The Grizzlies are 19th in passing at 23.1 assists per game and they are last in the league in rebounding at only 39.5 rebounds per game. But what’s kept them afloat is their defense which allows a league 2nd best 102.1 points per game.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors 12/17/18
Moneyline Odds: Grizzlies +600, Warriors -800
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/17/18
While the Grizzlies are struggling these days, the defending champions Golden State Warriors are playing like they have gotten back their championship form. The Warriors have four wins in their last five games, with their only loss during that stretch was a 20 point defeat suffered against the Toronto Raptors. Still, the Dubs are 20-10 on the season and on top of the Pacific Division team standings.
The Warriors lead the league in passing with 28.1 assists per game. They are also 3rd overall in team scoring at 116.1 points per game scored. The Warriors are also averaging 45.8 rebounds pergame, putting them at 12th in the NBA. The Dubs are 18th in the NBA in scoring defense at 111.8 points per game.
The Grizzlies and Dubs have faced each other a total of 86 times during the NBA regular season. The Warriors hold the slight edge at 45-41 in total wins. Golden State has also won five out of their last six meetings including the last three. The Warriors defeated the Grizzlies 117-101 in their first meeting of the current season last November 5th at the Oracle Arena.
The Warriors have dominated this matchup historically as Golden State has taken 12 out of the last 15 meetings including 5 out of the last 6 and the last four games at Oracle Arena. Since Stephen Curry’s return, it looks like the Warriors have found their rhythm and they have been playing much better basketball. With Draymond Green back from injury, the Dubs should be a much more potent force in their coming games.
The Dubs are known for their offensive firepower and they are ranked 3rd in the league in team scoring. The Grizzlies rank 28th in scoring offense and it’s obvious they are finding it hard to score points. They have however, played excellent defense by bringing back the energy of grit and grind.However, stopping the Warriors’ offense is often a futile exercise unless you can score points on them as well. I don’t think the Grizzlies can score enough points to beat the Dubs.
We’re picking the Golden State Warriors to beat the Memphis Grizzlies on 12/17/18.
Memphis is 16-13 ATS in 29 games played this season. The Grizzlies are 7-7 ATS in 14 road games played so far. The Warriors are only 13-17 ATS this season and oly 7-8 ATS in 15 home games played so far. Head to head, the Warriors are 4-2 ATS in their last six meetings.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors 12/17/18
Spread Odds: Grizzlies +11.5 (-110), Warriors -11.5 (-110)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/17/18
The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five games between these two teams. The Grizzlies are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games in Golden State. The Dubs have owned the Grizzlies in this series and right now, they are also playing better basketball. The spread looks too high for a Warriors’ team that hasn’t been as dominant as it has been in previous seasons. But regardless, the Dubs have the most firepower of any team in the NBA and that usually shows itself at home.
Prediction: Warriors -11.5
The total has gone under in 16 out of the 29 games played by Memphis. The under is 8-6 in the Grizzlies’ 14 road games. The total has gone over in 16 out of the 30 games played by the Warriors so far. The under is 9-6 in the Dubs’ 15 home games played this season.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors 12/17/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 210 -110, Under 210 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/17/18
Memphis has elite defense, the Warriors have elite offense. So what give here? Historically, the under is 5-4-1 in their last ten meetings but with the total here set at 210, that’s too low when you have the Golden State Warriors on one side.
Prediction: Over 210
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