Western Conference foes will square off Sunday night as the Memphis Grizzlies (38-24, 2nd in West) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (33-33, 8th in the West). The Clippers will host this one at the Crypto.com Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 10:00 pm ET.
The Clippers are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -255 to win, while the Grizzlies’ moneyline sits at +210. The spread features Memphis as 6.5-point underdogs, and the over/under for total points is 228 (-110).
Short-Handed Grizzlies Look For Road Win
It has been a really rough weekend for the Memphis Grizzlies. Superstar Ja Morant was suspended for two games after a video showed him wielding a gun in a nightclub. If that wasn’t bad enough, Brandon Clarke is out for the season after tearing his Achilles, and Dillon Brooks has been suspended for receiving his 16th technical of the season.
Those are three of the top five scorers for the Grizzlies, led by Morant, who averages 27.1 points, six rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. Unfortunately, for a team that has significant playoff aspirations, this is not where they want their focus to be.
With those three out, it will be Desmond Bane (21.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, four assists) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 blocks) leading the way for Memphis.
On the year, the Grizzlies rank ninth in scoring, averaging 115.6 points per game (112.8 on the road).
Defensively, they rank sixth, allowing opponents an average of just 111.6 points per game (115.5 on the road).
Clippers Try To Snap Losing Streak
The Los Angeles Clippers are in the midst of their worst stretch of basketball all season. They have lost five straight games and have fallen to eighth in the West, 13 games behind the first-place Nuggets. On Sunday, they will try to snap out of it at home, where they are just 15-15 on the season.
The Clippers come into this one ranked 12th in the NBA in scoring defense, allowing 112.7 points per game to opponents. They are slightly better at home, allowing 109.3 points on average.
Offensively, they have struggled a bit this season. They rank 23rd overall, averaging just 112.4 points per game. The Clippers are led by Paul George, who is averaging 23.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
Other major contributors include Kawhi Leonard (23 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists), Norman Powell (16.6 points, 2.9 rebounds), and newcomer Russell Westbrook (16.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists). Unfortunately for L.A., Powell is out Sunday with an arm injury.
Take Los Angeles To Win And Cover
The Grizzlies come into this one 6-3 in their last nine games. They are also 4-1 straight up and against the spread in their last five against the Clippers.
In their last five games, the Clippers are winless straight up and just 1-4 against the spread. They are also 1-4 in their last five home games.
Both of these two have their flaws. Los Angeles has obviously had a rough stretch as of late, but expect the Grizzlies to be reeling in this one after the news of the weekend.
Especially playing at home, take Los Angeles to both win and to cover the 6.5-point spread (-106).
