One of the most highly anticipated matchups of today’s stacked NBA slate will be between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies. Ja Morant and company will be tested against the Eastern Conference leaders with both of these teams outperforming early expectations this regular season.
Morant has not been as large of a part of the team’s success as most would expect. The two-time All-Star has suited up for just 34 games. During this time he is averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game.
This will be a difficult matchup for the Grizzlies with Cleveland looking like one of the best teams in basketball. While public opinion seems skeptical of both these teams from a postseason standpoint, this will be an interesting matchup to see how these teams stack up with each other. Both are winning games at over a 66% rate this season.
The Cavaliers enter this matchup as six-point favorites and -230 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Grizzlies hold +190 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at 248.
With the stage set, here are my favorite Morant prop bets ahead of the Sunday night matchup.
Best Ja Morant Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Ja Morant’s props are listed at over/under 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.5 made three-pointers and 32.5 combined points, rebounds and assists.
Ja Morant Over 21.5 Points (-105)
Injuries and inconsistencies have prevented Morant from finding his scoring peak in recent years. At his best, Morant averaged 27.4 points per game during the 2021-22 season in which he won the Most Improved Player award and was seventh in MVP voting. This season, Morant is averaging 20.5 points per game with him currently shooting a career-low 44.1% from the field. The Murray State product has still recorded over 21.5 points in 17 of the 34 games he has played.
Cleveland has built a solid defensive identity, but the numbers do not shine as much as you would think. The Cavaliers rank ninth in opponents’ points allowed and sixth in opponents’ field goal percentage. They also could be without Jarrett Allen, who left Friday’s game against the Knicks and is questionable tonight due to a hand injury. Cleveland leans heavily on its two big men and its outlook would change drastically if Allen cannot play.
Regardless, expect Morant to play in attack mode in this game and be ready to make a statement. He dropped 23 points in his previous game and has recorded over 21.5 points in four of his past six games. Memphis will not reach its peak until Morant fully settles into his role leading the charge as a scorer, so expect tonight to be a clear step in this direction. Look for him to be active attacking the basket and have no problem blowing by Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland on the perimeter in the process. Count on his athleticism to be a difference maker and for Morant to push the pace in transition and record over 21.5 points tonight.
Ja Morant Over 3.5 Turnovers (-105)
One area of concern in Morant’s game has been turnovers. The 25-year-old is coughing the ball up at a career-high rate this season logging 3.9 turnovers per game. He has tallied seven turnovers in a game four times and has recorded over 3.5 turnovers in 18 of the 34 games. He has turned the ball over four or more times in seven of the last nine games and is coming off one of his seven turnover games on Friday.
The Cavaliers are forcing 14.8 turnovers per game on the season which is tied for 12th in the NBA. This is a matchup that is expected to have plenty of offensive possessions with the Grizzlies leading the NBA in pace and the Cavaliers ranking seventh in this category. The over/under for this matchup is set at 248 which is the highest number of any game taking place today and an indication of the pace expected to be seen.
Morant has a flare for the dramatic and is not afraid to attempt a risky pass. Expect this game to spend plenty of time in transition and for there to be some sloppy stretches. For the most part, the turnovers have not been overly detrimental to the Grizzlies as a team. It is more of a telling statistic for how much offense he is asked to create and this will continue to be the case tonight.
Expect Morant to be at the epicenter of the Grizzlies’ offensive attack and for his turnover issues to pop up once again. With the expected pace of this game in mind and the star guard already averaging 3.9 turnovers per game, I like the -105 odds for at least four slip-ups tonight.
