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The Memphis Grizzlies face the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on February 26, 2020.
The Memphis Grizzlies complete a four-game road trip with a visit to the Toyota Center. Memphis is winless so far in their current trip and they have lost three straight games to fall below the .500 mark at 28-29 on the season. The Grizzlies though still have the upper hand in the race for the final playoff spot in the West. The Rockets are currently in 4th place in the West and are looking to climb the ladder for home-court advantage beyond the first round of the playoffs. Houston has lost just twice in their last 10 games played and they head to this matchup with four straight wins.
A Third Consecutive Defeat
The Memphis Grizzlies witnessed the wrath of the full L.A. Clippers offense on Monday night. The Grizzlies allowed the Clippers to score 40 points in the opening quarter and they trailed by 26 points at the end of the opening frame. Memphis ended up losing 97-124 for their third consecutive defeat.
Ja Morant led Memphis with 16 points while Josh Jackson added 14 points for the Grizzlies who played without Jaren Jackson Jr. who is out of action for at least two weeks with a left knee sprain. Memphis has fallen below the .500 mark at 28-29 on the season as they have fallen 0-3 SU in this current road trip. They close it out at Houston and the task isn’t any easier.
The Grizzlies rank 12th in the league in scoring at 112.8 points per game. They are the top passing team in the NBA this season at 27.1 assists per game and they are 8th in rebounding at 46.0 boards grabbed per contest. Memphis is only 23rd in scoring defense at 114.9 points per game allowed.
The Houston Rockets look to climb the Western Conference as they host the Grizzlies. The Rockets have won eight out of their last 10 games played and they are coming off a 123-112 home win over the New York Knicks on Monday night. Houston is currently one game ahead of Utah for the 4th seed in the West and a win here will create more separation between them.
James Harden flew in from Kobe Bryant’s memorial in Los Angeles and scored 37 points to lead the Rockets against the Knicks. Russell Westbrook sat out the game with a sore thumb but the Rockets got 17 points from Ben McLemore, 16 points from Eric Gordon, and 14 from Austin Rivers.
The Rockets are the second-highest scoring team in the league at 118.6 points per game this season. They are 15th in rebounding at 45.3 rebounds per game but are next to last when it comes to passing at 21.5 assists per game. Houston has the 21st-ranked scoring defense in the NBA at 114.2 points per game this season.
Who Wins?
Memphis is 2-4 SU in their last six games played. The Grizzlies are 3-5 SU in their last eight games played on the road, and 10-5 SU in their last 15 games played against the Western Conference. Houston is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played. The Rockets are 6-1 SU in their last seven games played at home. Head to head, the Rockets are 6-2 SU in their last eight games played against the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have struggled as of late and they have lost three straight games heading to this contest. Memphis still owns the 8th seed in the West but they have fallen below the .500 mark at 28-29 on the season. Jaren Jackson will miss at least two weeks and he is a big loss to Memphis’ cause.
Houston has committed to playing small ball the rest of the way when they traded Clint Capela. Although some question the move, Houston has proven its critics wrong by winning eight out of their last 10 games played. Russell Westbrook is expected to play in this game and the Houston backcourt should pose plenty of problems for Memphis.
The Rockets are on a roll right now and the Grizzlies are in a bad space. The Rockets are 20-8 SU at home while Memphis is just 12-16 on the road this season. It has been a tough road trip for the Grizzlies and they will have to finish it at the Toyota Center which is no easy task. I think Houston beats a road-weary Memphis team.
Prediction: Houston Rockets
Other Bets to Make
The Grizzlies are 2-4 ATS in their last six games played. Memphis is 1-4 ATS in their last five games played on the road. The Rockets are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games played. Houston is 3-3 ATS in their last six games played at home, and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games played against the Southwest Division. Head to head, the Rockets are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played against the Grizzlies. Houston is also 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against Memphis.
Grizzlies
+10.5 (-110)
Rockets
-10.5 (-110)
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/26/20
Memphis is 1-5 ATS in their last six games as underdogs. The Grizzlies are 1-4 ATS in their last five games played against an opponent with a winning record of at least .600. Houston is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games after scoring 100 or more points in their previous game and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games when playing on one day rest. The Rockets have a favorable match-up here with Memphis missing Jaren Jackson and Brandon Clarke. Give me the home team here.
Prediction: Rockets -10.5
The total has gone under in four out of the last five games played by the Grizzlies. Memphis has seen the total go over in five out of their last eight road games. The over is also 8-4 in the Grizzlies’ last 12 games played against the Southwest Division. The total has gone under in five out of the last seven games played by the Rockets. The under is 15-13 in Houston’s 28 home games played this season, and 5-2 in their last seven February games. Head to head, the total has gone under in seven out of the last 10 games played by these two teams.
Over
N/A
Under
N/A
Odds from SportsBetting as of 02/26/20
The Rockets have scored an average of 123.3 points per game during their current three-game winning streak. Memphis meanwhile, will be missing key defensive players in Jackson and Clarke. These teams are in the Top 6 in pace so there will be plenty of possessions here. With Houston’s firepower and speedy small ball units, we are going to see plenty of points scored in this game.
Prediction: Over
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