The 19-31 Grizzlies will host the 12-39 Kings tonight. This will be a true, bottom-of-the-barrel matchup between two teams who have both recently had playoff aspirations but have both fizzled out into rebuilding territory. The Grizzlies officially signaled the beginning of this rebuild by recently trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz. The Kings are reportedly suitors for Ja Morant in hopes that they can restore his stardom.
The Kings are currently –112 favorites on the Moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the point total set to 231.5. Below, I’ll break down tonight’s matchup and offer my prediction.
Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies preview, prediction
The Kings have lost nine straight. They’re reportedly shopping Domantas Sabonis around the league. It wasn’t difficult to see this happening, and one has to wonder what prompted the Sacramento front office to make moves for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine after watching this duo languish in mediocrity in Chicago. This team also doesn’t have much in the way of young talent, save for a few flashes of potential from rookie Dylan Cardwell, who’s averaging 8.6 PPG and 12.5 RPG alongside 3.1 BPG per 36 minutes. This team is currently rolling out Russell Westbrook as its starting point guard. Russ has been having a decent individual season with 15.4 PPG, 6 RPG, and 6.7 APG. His personal production hasn’t translated into wins. The Kings rank 28th in offensive rating and 28th in defensive rating. They’re 29th in net rating as a result.
The Grizzlies have been similarly disappointing this season. Ja Morant has seen drops in PPG, SPG, RPG, FG%, and 3P% since last season. He’s connecting on a putrid 23.5% from beyond the arc and bricking away from the field with 41% shooting on 16.1 shots per game. If we add that to his limited availability this season, then it’s easy to see that both Morant and the Grizzlies seem ready to part ways. But it’s not all doom and gloom for Memphis. They have promising young players such as Cedric Coward, Scottie Pippen Jr, Jaylen Wells, and GG Jackson. It’s a shrewd move for Memphis to cut losses early and to start the rebuild again. The Grizzlies currently rank 22nd in offensive rating and 17th in defensive rating.
Kings vs. Grizzlies pick, best bet
Best bet: O 231.5
It’s a tough call – stoppable force meets movable object. I’m mostly still expecting the total score to go Over 231.5. With many starters out on the Grizzlies’ side, there are young and hungry players who are vying for a starting spot in the rotation. On the Kings’ side, there are players who see the writing on the wall and will continue trying to put up numbers to advertise for a different and better situation.
