Grizzlies vs. Lakers Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Charlie Grant
The Purple and Gold are seeking their second win over the Grizzlies in the last three weeks.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Grizzlies are the coldest team in the Association. They’ve lost five straight and seven of their last eight games. The club is 1-7 against the spread over the slump and now 16-16 against the number on the campaign.
Memphis likes a slow-it-down pace, but the team is struggling to fill the hoop. The Grizzlies are scored fewer than 100 points in nine of their last 10 games. The Under is 7-3 over that stretch and 19-13 on the year.
The Lakers are coming off a 112-104 win and cover against Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. LA is still just 3-5-1 ATS in its last eight games and 13-18-1 ATS for the campaign.
The Under is 7-1 in the Lakers’ last eight home games, but the Over is 6-2-1 in the last nine games between these two sides. The Lakers topped the Grizzlies 111-88 in Memphis back on Dec. 8th.
Memphis Grizzlies
Who needs to step things up for the Grizzlies to get back on track? Look no further than the man in the middle. Marc Gasol averaged 19.5 points and 10.3 rebounds in November.
The numbers in December? Not as pretty. The three-time All-Star is averaging just 11.8 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 35.1 percent from the field. Not good, Bob.
Even worse, the big man can normally hang his hat on his defensive work when his shot isn’t falling, but that hasn’t been the case – at least this month. The Grizzlies are allowing 104.7 points per 100 possessions in December with Gasol on the floor and 100.6 without him.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers welcomed back two rotation regulars on Friday night. Wing Brandon Ingram scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds after missing the previous seven games with an ankle injury. And point guard Rajon Rondo totalled eight points and nine assists in 22 minutes off the bench in his first action on the floor in over a month.
