Grizzlies vs. Lakers Pick & Predictions 3/7/23

Memphis Grizzlies (38-25 SU, 30-31-2 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (31-34 SU, 31-31-3 ATS)
When: Tuesday, March 7th, 10:00 PM (ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles
TV: TNT

Point Spread: Mem +2/LAL -2
Total: 226.5
Money Line: Memphis Grizzlies +109/-131

Notable Injuries

Grizzlies

• Steven Adams (Out) Knee
• Ja Morant (Out) Not With Team
• Brandon Clarke (Out) Achilles
• Jake LaRavia (Questionable) Back
• Vince Williams Jr. (Out) Right Shoulder

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Probable) Foot
• LeBron James (Out) Foot
• D’Angelo Russell (Questionable) Ankle
• Mo Bamba (Out) Ankle

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Memphis is 38-25 overall. When taking to the road, Memphis has a mark of 12-20 and a win percentage of 38%. Currently, the team is 2nd in the Western Conference. So far, they are 30-31-2 vs. the spread. Memphis travels to take on the Lakers, hoping to avoid their 3rd straight loss.

Memphis will be looking to shake off a 135-129 loss to the Clippers. Desmond Bane finished the game with a team-high 30 points on 54.5%. In terms of betting, the Grizzlies covered the spread. Heading into the game, they were 7-point underdogs.

Heading into the game, Los Angeles is 31-34 overall. When playing at home, Los Angeles has a mark of 16-15 and a win percentage of 52%. Currently, the team is 11th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 31-31-3 vs. the spread. In Los Angeles’ last five games, the Lakers have a straight-up record of 3-2 while going 3-2 in those games. Going back to the last 10, they are 6-4 and 6-4 ATS.

Los Angeles will be looking to build on their most recent win over the Warriors. Anthony Davis led the team to a win with his 39 points. The Lakers were 5-point underdogs on the spread, giving them an ATS win.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Lakers picked up the win 122-121 win over the Grizzlies. Heading into the game, Los Angeles was the 6.5-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. So far, the two teams have split their season series, with each team at 1-1. Over the last five head-to-head meetings, the Grizzlies have averaged 116 points per game compared to 108 for Los Angeles. This has led to an ATS record of 3-2 for Memphis. Memphis and Los Angeles averaged a combined 224 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.

Analysis

This season, Memphis is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 115.8 points per game. So far, the Grizzlies are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 100.9 possessions per game. Memphis’ 3-point shooting numbers are below the league average, as they have hit just 34.5% of their looks from deep. On average, the team gets up 33.0 3-point shots per game, placing them 14th in the NBA. Defensively, the Grizzlies have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 109.9 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 34.88%.

An important injury to consider for today’s game is that Memphis will be without Ja Morant, who is listed as out on the injury report. Desmond Bane will assume the role of primary scorer for the team. This season, Bane has been averaging 21.5 points per game for the Grizzlies.

This season, Los Angeles is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 116.7 points per game. So far, the Lakers are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 102.4 possessions per game. Los Angeles has struggled with their 3-point shot this season, as they are currently ranked just 25th in 3-point shooting percentage at 34.0%. In addition, they are near the bottom of the league in attempts, at just 31.2 shots per contest. The defense has been a rough spot for Los Angeles, as they currently allow 115.15 points per game. In terms of their 3-point defense, opposing teams have hit 35.38% of their looks from deep, placing the Lakers 18th in the NBA.

LeBron James will not be available for today’s game in Los Angeles due to an injury, as reported on the injury report. This means that Anthony Davis will need to step up and take on the role of primary scorer for the team. This year, Davis has been averaging 26.4 points per game for the Lakers.

Betting Trends

• The Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
• The Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
• The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

It’s common for betting markets to be slow to react to news and other things that can affect point spreads. In case you hadn’t noticed, the Memphis Grizzlies played excellent basketball without Ja Morant in the lineup. They have sufficient backups and are still a better team than the Los Angeles Lakers. I’m happy to be getting plus two Tuesday night with the Grizz!