Wednesday’s NBA slate wraps up with a late-window meeting between the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns as these Western Conference foes face off at 9 p.m. EST. Both sides are a smidge shorthanded so this game may turn into a tightly contested affair, and Ja Morant against Devin Booker looks like one of the best star matchups of the evening.
Here’s a Grizzlies vs. Suns prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Wednesday’s matchup.
Grizzlies vs. Suns prediction, preview
Memphis Grizzlies
At this point we may need to ask whether the Grizzlies are legitimately cursed. Few franchises have experienced this kind of poor luck where injuries are concerned as Santi Aldama (shoulder) and Vince Williams Jr. (ankle) are both questionable to play tonight while Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Brandon Clarke all remain out due to various ailments. With basically half the rotation missing, the 2-2 start for Memphis feels respectable. Ja Morant averages 22.3 points and 6.5 assists a night with Jaren Jackson Jr. second in scoring with averages of 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. Rookie Cedric Coward has also impressed early with 16.5 PPG on some ridiculous shooting splits, so he’s a name to keep an eye on moving forward.
The Grizzlies are eighth in scoring with 122.0 PPG, but they’re shooting just 31.9% from three which falls 26th in the league. The defense hasn’t yet come online with 125.5 PPG allowed, 25th overall, and Memphis also sits below average in rebounding. The same size is very small, but there’s both upside here and things to improve upon.
Phoenix Suns
As for the Suns, expectations are quite low following the offseason departure of Kevin Durant. They’re 1-3 to start the season and come off an ugly overtime loss to the Jazz, just to put things in perspective. Phoenix averages 116.8 PPG but hasn’t shot well from the field with the fifth-lowest shooting percentage, while the defense sits third-worst in opponent scoring. One positive is that the Suns are in the middle of the pack in rebounding, but looking at the rotation doesn’t spark confidence for winning potential. Devin Booker is getting his numbers with 28.5 points and 6.8 assists a night, and Grayson Allen averages a career-best 17.5 PPG as well. However, there’s a clear lack of top-end talent here thus far, and Dillon Brooks (groin) won’t play tonight after averaging 19.3 PPG with some standout defense.
On a positive note, Jalen Green (hamstring) is questionable to play tonight after dealing with a strain in recent weeks. If he makes his debut as a Sun, he brings high upside and volume-scoring potential to this Phoenix offense, especially as a threat in transition. The fit between he and Booker doesn’t appear to be a simple one, though there’s plenty of opportunity for Green to get shots up.
Grizzlies vs. Suns pick, best bet
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Grizzlies enter as -1.5 favorites with -130 odds to win on the Moneyline. The Suns come in at +110 underdogs to win outright with a game total of 241.5 points.
Is this the most enticing game on the slate given the quality of this Suns team and various injuries to the Grizzlies’ roster? Not really. However, there’s certainly room for bettors to find value, especially since Memphis should probably be a heavier favorite against a team on the verge of a full-on rebuild. Booker may take a ton of shots and Green does bring an infusion of scoring prowess to the picture if he plays, but even a banged-up Grizz rotation has more talent than Phoenix does. The Suns have approximately zero standout big men, and Mark Williams has the most upside of the frontcourt but likely continues to operate on a minutes restriction. Plus, their guards are vulnerable defensively and will likely struggle to contain Morant on the perimeter while Jackson Jr. matches up with a weak frontcourt. If Aldama plays, the Grizzlies will have an even better shot at winning this one.
These shorthanded Grizzlies may lack much depth, but they’re still an arguably better team than the Suns are. Watch for Memphis to show some fight here and escape the desert with a win and cover the spread.
