Grizzlies vs. Clippers Betting Pick and Preview | 12/29/23

Memphis Grizzlies (10-20 SU, 13-17 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (18-12 SU, 14-16 ATS)

When: Friday, December 29th, 10:30 PM (ET)

Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles

TV: NBA

Point Spread: Mem +6.5/LAL -6.5

Total: 224.5

Money Line: Memphis Grizzlies +227/-281

Notable Injuries

Grizzlies

• Derrick Rose (Out) Hamstring
• Steven Adams (Out) Knee
• Luke Kennard (Out) Knee
• Ja Morant (Questionable) Illness
• Brandon Clarke (Out) Achilles
• Santi Aldama (Questionable) Illness

Clippers

• Mason Plumlee (Out) Knee
• Kawhi Leonard (Questionable) Hip

Recent Form

So far, the Grizzlies are 13th in the West, going 10-20. On the road, their record is 8-9, and they have also gone 13-17 vs. the spread.

When looking at the over/under lines for their games, the average line is 223.6, and their games have averaged 220.7 points. Memphis’ over/under record for the season is 13-17, including three straight overs.

As they get set to take on the Clippers, they are 6.5-point underdogs and have lost three straight games. In their most recent game, Memphis lost to the Nuggets by a score of 142-105. This game also resulted in an over as the over/under line was 221.5, and the teams combined to score 247.

Against the spread, Memphis is 9-8 on the road and has covered four straight games when the underdog. So far, they have been the underdog in 20 of their 30 games.

The Clippers will look to pick up another win as they take on the Grizzlies as 6.5-point favorites. So far, they have won 11 straight games and are 18-5 as the favorite this season.

Los Angeles’ overall record this season is 18-12, which has them sitting 4th in the Western Conference. Against other teams in the West, they are 14-9 compared to going 4-3 against non-conference opponents.

When playing at home, the Clippers are 12-4 and have an average scoring differential of +6.7 PPG. Their average scoring margin on the road is +1.4 PPG.

In their last game, the Clippers took on the Hornets and picked up a 113-104 victory. The over/under line in that game was 226 points, and the teams combined to score 217. Los Angeles did not cover the spread in the game.

Against the spread, the Clippers are 14-16, including an ATS record of 8-8 at home. Los Angeles has not covered the spread in two straight games at home.

The over/under line for today’s game is 224.5 points. On average, the Clippers’ games have combined to finish with 228.9 points. So far, their over/under record for the season is 13-17.

The Historicals

The ATS record across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings is 4-1 in favor of the Grizzlies. In these matchups, Memphis has averaged 121 points per game while allowing 116. In these contests, they averaged a combined 237 points per game, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Analysis

In their most recent game, the Grizzlies scored 105 points, which matches their average of 107.3 points per game. Over their last three games, the Grizzlies have an effective field goal percentage of 52%, which is slightly better than their season-long EFG of 51% (29th). In their five most recent games, the Grizzlies are shooting 34.5% from three-point range, which is 10th best in the league.

On defense, the Grizzlies come into the game ranked 13th in the league in points allowed at 113.4 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 125.3 points per contest (15th). Inside the arc, the Grizzlies defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 51.5% and 38.9% from three-point territory.

In their last game vs. the Hornets, the Clippers put up 113 points and shot 47.1% from the field. From beyond the arc, they made 14 threes. As they get ready for today’s game, Kawhi Leonard leads the team in scoring at 24.4 PPG. Paul George is right behind him, averaging 22.9 PPG.

On average, the Los Angeles defense is giving up 112.4 points per game (9th). Right now, they are on a two-game streak of giving up fewer points than their season average. In terms of takeaways, the Clippers are causing 12.4 turnovers per game, ranking 10th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 15th in rejections, averaging 5.2 blocked shots each game.

Betting Trends

• Across the Grizzlies’ last ten road games, the team averaged 108 points per game while allowing 114. Their record vs. the spread in these contests was 6-4 while going 5-5 straight-up.
• In their last five home games, Los Angeles has averaged 123 points per game while allowing 119. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• As the betting underdog, the Grizzlies have an ATS record of 2-1 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight-up record was 2-1.
• The Clippers have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Last night, the injuries that the Grizzlies are dealing with proved to be too much as the Nuggets took them down. Coming in as 6.5-point favorites, I like the Clippers to take care of business at home and cover the spread.