As Ja Morant goes, so do the Memphis Grizzlies. In the 2022-23 season, Morant played 61 games and Memphis finished 51-31, nabbing the second seed in the Western Conference. Then, the season after, suspension and injury limited Morant to just nine games, and the Grizzlies missed the playoffs entirely.
This year, Morant has played 17 games and Memphis is 20-9, once again second in the West. Tonight, the Grizzlies will host the 16-13 LA Clippers for an 8 p.m. ET clash at FedEx Forum.
The high-flying former Most Improved Player is on the fringes of All-Star consideration this season, averaging 21.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Memphis (-225) is a substantial favorite and the point total is set to 228.5. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bets centered around Morant.
Best Ja Morant Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Ja Morant U35.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-110)
After losing All-Star wing Paul George to the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason and All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard to yet another injury in the offseason, the Clippers have no business being this good. LA has been bolstered by occasional flashes of vintage brilliance by future Hall of Famer James Harden and a Most Improved Player-worthy campaign from journeyman Norman Powell, but the bulk of the credit has to go to head coach Tyronn Lue and his defensive schemes.
LA excels at pretty much every aspect of defense, allowing just 108.4 points per 100 possessions and owning top-six ranks in opponent points, rebounds, and assists. Players also shoot just 34.2% from deep when guarded by Clippers defenders, who get within four feet of their opponents on nearly half of all shot attempts. LA has benefited from some shooting luck — opponents shoot 38.0% on wide-open threes against the Clippers, the tenth-lowest percentage in the league — but it’s clear that Lue’s players are buying into and executing his strategies.
LA’s defensive prowess spells problems for Morant, who has been one of the league’s most inconsistent high-volume players this season. Morant has had two 30-point games in his past six, but has also had two single-digit scoring performances. One of those games was a blowout win over the Golden State Warriors in which he played just 17 minutes before leaving in the third quarter with an injury, but the other was a proper two-for-13 stinker.
Overall, his 49.4% is the 42nd-worst among 227 players with more than 10 games played and 20 minutes per game this season. I just don’t think he’ll be efficient against the Clippers, and with LA’s slow pace and a mostly healthy Grizzlies roster around him, he won’t get enough volume to make a huge statistical impact.
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