Closing down the eight-game NBA slate, the Memphis Grizzlies will face the Los Angeles Lakers, with tip-off scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET.
This marks the second consecutive matchup between these two Western Conference opponents. The Lakers produced a 128-121 win on Friday night, and also defeated the Grizzlies 117-112 back on October 31st.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Lakers enter as 5.5-point favorites and hold -205 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Grizzlies are +170 underdogs with the game total set at 240.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Sunday night matchup.
Grizzlies vs. Lakers Preview
The Memphis Grizzlies have settled in a bit after a turbulent start to the season. They enter this matchup with a 15-19 record on the year, which slots them at 10th place in the Western Conference. Memphis fell to 4-11 to start the season, but has gone 11-8 since this point. Overall, the Grizzlies are 15-19 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in 20 of their 34 games.
Ja Morant ruffled some feathers to earn himself another suspension this season, but has played at a relatively high level of late. On the season, he is averaging 19.0 points and 7.6 assists, but is shooting just 20.8% on three-point attempts. Jaren Jackson Jr. adds 18.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Santi Aldama is producing 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. 11th overall pick Cedric Coward has been one of the bigger surprises in the NBA to start the year. The Eastern Washington product is averaging 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while making a strong impact on the defensive end. Jaylen Wells, Cam Spencer, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each also play an important role in the rotation.
Memphis is battling some injuries heading into the matchup. Morant and Aldama are questionable for the matchup, while Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Ty Jerome, Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Scottie Pippen Jr. each remain sidelined.
As a team, the Grizzlies rank fourth in the league in pace, but have not particularly impressed on either side of the ball. They are generating 116.0 points per game, which ranks 18th, and rank 25th in offensive rating, 24th in field goal percentage, and 21st in three-point percentage. Defensively, Memphis is allowing 116.9 points per game. This ranks 16th, and they rank 12th in defensive rating, 13th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 17th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
The Lakers are off to a 21-11 start to the season, which slots them at fifth place in the Western Conference. They produced a victory over this Grizzlies team in the previous game, but dropped four of their previous five games. Los Angeles has gone 18-14 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 21 of their 32 games played.
Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Adou Thiero will each remain sidelined for this matchup. Luka Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game, along with 8.7 assists and 8.1 rebounds. LeBron James continues to win his battle with Father Time, averaging 20.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in his age 41 season. Deandre Ayton has been adequate as the primary big man, averaging 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Marcus Smart, Jake LaRavia, Jaxson Hayes, and Jarred Vanderbilt round out most of their notable depth.
Los Angeles ranks 14th in the league in scoring, generating 117.2 points per game. They are producing the seventh-best offensive rating, rank second in the league in field goal percentage, but 29th in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Lakers are allowing 117.4 points per game, which ranks 18th in the league. They rank 24th in defensive rating, 28th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 29th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Grizzlies vs. Lakers Prediction, Best Bet
The Lakers hold a 2-0 advantage in this matchup on the year, but beating a team three times and in back-to-back matchups is a difficult ask. Los Angeles has some legitimate defensive issues that JJ Redick has been unable to find a solution to. Their inability to stop the free-throw line is especially concerning. Los Angeles ranks 16th in three-point attempts allowed, but 29th in opponents’ three-point percentage. Memphis generated 44 perimeter shots in the previous game, but only connected at just a 33% rate. This is below the 35% they are averaging from deep on the season, which already ranks 21st in the league.
I am backing shooting variance to shift back in Memphis’ favor and for them to be more effective from the three-point line tonight. Memphis lost 128-121 despite the struggles, and also lost by five games in the first matchup between these two teams.
Memphis is still banged up, but the Lakers have also dealt with injuries. Ja Morant’s recent stretch has been encouraging of late, as highlighted by the 40-point performance on Tuesday and a double-double in Friday’s matchup against this Lakers team. He is playing more team-oriented basketball that is conducive to winning. Morant was clearly unhappy at the start of the season, but looks to have put this behind him for at least the time being. It is best for both parties for Morant to play his best basketball and prove he still can play at the All-Star caliber level that he has not consistently shown over the past few seasons.
Expect Morant to attack Doncic as much as possible and show up ready to make a statement tonight. The Lakers are capable of allowing 140+ points on any given night and are overly dependent on their offense to produce results. Memphis has not looked outclassed in either of its matchups against LA, and even held a one-point lead with six minutes left to play in the previous matchup. Count on the shots to fall at a greater rate and for a few additional breaks to fall their directions for the Grizzlies to keep this competitive throughout and have a chance at the outright victory. I am backing the Grizzlies to cover the 5.5-point spread and think they are live underdogs for the matchup tonight.
