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The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs look to get back in the win column when they meet at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The Grizzlies head to Texas after back to back blowout losses to the Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks while the Spurs try to regroup after a 20-point drubbing at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
Rebuilding Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are in rebuilding mode with at least none of its starters from the beginning of the previous season on its roster right now. The Grizzlies lost to the Dallas Mavericks in their most recent outing and in that game, only Bruno Cabucolo was the player on their current roster that had played in their previous game against Dallas last April.
Sophomore Jaren Jackson led the Grizzlies with 23 points while Jae Crowder had 18 but it’s their defense that has failed this young team at the start of the season. Memphis allowed a season-most 138 points against the Mavs and they have given up at least 125 points in each of their last three games played.
The Grizzlies rank 19th in team scoring at 108.7 points per game this season. Memphis is 17th in rebounding at 45.8 boards grabbed per contest and they are 3rd in passing at 25.8 dimes per outing. The Grizzlies’ defense is allowing 120.1 points per game this season which is third-worst in the NBA.
Spurs in a Funk
The San Antonio Spurs started their 2019-20 season with three straight wins over the Knicks, Wizards, and Blazers but San Antonio has been in a funk since then as they have lost four out of their last six games played and are now in 3rd place in the Southwest Division with a 5-4 SU record.
In their last game which was played at home, the Spurs player lackluster basketball against the Boston Celtics. San Antonio trailed by as many as 22 points and allowed the Celtics to score a season-high 72 first-half points. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 22 points against Boston.
The Spurs rank 13th in scoring at 112.6 points per game this season. San Antonio is 3rd in rebounding at 49.7 boards grabbed per contest and they are 20th in passing at 23.4 assists per game. The Spurs are giving up an average of 112.7 points per game this season.
Who Wins?
Memphis is 1-5 SU in their last six games played. The Grizzlies are 0-3 in three road games played so far this season. San Antonio is 2-4 SU in their last six games played. The Spurs are 4-2 SU in six home games played this season and 6-1 SU in their last seven games against the Southwest Division. Head to head, the Spurs are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games against the Grizzlies. San Antonio is also 13-1 SU in their last 14 home games against Memphis and they are the NBA betting favorites here.
The Grizzlies have one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams in the league this season. Their top scorer Ja Morant is a rookie and their second-leading scorer Jaren Jackson is a sophomore. This rebuilding team has shown some promise on offense but their defense is a work in progress right now.
San Antonio has the same team that made the playoffs last season. However, the Spurs are currently on a slide with four losses in their last six games. San Antonio has veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, and Patty Mills to carry their flag. This team is healthy right now so they just need some fine-tuning to get back on track.
Gregg Popovich knows that they can’t lose games that they are expected to win because that’s not going to help them preserve their playoff streak. Pop is going to make the right adjustments here so look for the Spurs to take care of business at home behind Aldridge, De Rozan, and Mills.
Prediction: San Antonio Spurs
Other Bets To Make
Memphis is 1-5 ATS in their last six games played. The Grizzlies are 1-2 ATS in three road games this season and 1-4 ATS in their last five games against the Western Conference. San Antonio is 2-7 ATS in their last nine games played. The Spurs are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games and 1-5 ATS in their last six Monday games. Head to head, the Spurs are 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games against the Grizzlies but Memphis is 4-1 ATS in the last five games.
The Spurs have outscored the Grizzlies by 8.0 points per game in their last 10 games played and by only 3.67 points per game in their last three encounters. Four out of Memphis’ seven losses this season, including the last two, have come by 16 or more points. Meanwhile, only one of San Antonio’s five wins this season have come by double-digits and that was their game against the depleted Golden State Warriors. The Grizzlies have covered well against the Spurs as of late and San Antonio has done a bad job covering at home. There is always a chance that Memphis gets blown out here but both teams are rested. Memphis lost by seven to the Lakers and by six to the Clippers.
Prediction: Grizzlies +10.5
The total has gone under in four out of the last six games played by the Grizzlies. Memphis has seen the total go under in two out of their three road games played this season. The over is 5-3-1 in San Antonio’s nine games played this season. The total has gone over in four out of the last six home games played by the Spurs and the over is 9-2 in San Antonio’s last 11 November games played. Head to head, the over is 8-4 in the last 12 meetings between these two teams.
These teams have combined to score 198.2 points per game in their last 10 meetings and 197.67 points in their last three head to head games. Memphis has gone under the 221 total in four out of their last six games played while San Antonio has seen the total go over 221 in seven out of their nine games played this season. These are two bottom 10 teams when it comes to scoring defense and San Antonio is 13th in the league in scoring as well at 112.6 points per game. With no reported major injuries on both sides, I think these teams will try to outgun each other on Monday night.
Prediction: Over 226.5
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