The Memphis Grizzlies welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to FedExForum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 3 and can be seen on FSN-OK, SPSO and ESPN.
The Grizzlies played well in their last game, topping the Kings 97-83 on Monday. Jeff Green was a key piece with 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists. The Thunder, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 135-131 loss against the Mavericks on Wednesday. Oklahoma City still lost despite the best efforts of Enes Kanter, who recorded his 27th double-double of the season with 30 points and 16 rebounds.
Kanter has upped his play for the Thunder, averaging 20.0 points, 12.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 blocks over the past five games.
The Grizzlies lead the season series against the Thunder two games to one, but fell short in their most recent game, 105-89. Kevin Durant put up 26 points and 10 rebounds.
The odds for Memphis and Oklahoma City are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Grizzlies come into this game 51-24 Straight Up (SU) and 35-38-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 32-15 SU and 22-25 ATS against the Western Conference. Memphis will look to take advantage of the Thunder and their propensity to foul. Oklahoma City ranks 28th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.2 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Thunder have a record of 37-36-2 ATS and 42-33 SU. Against the Western Conference, Oklahoma City is 22-24 SU and 24-21-1 ATS. Offensively, the Thunder have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 103.6 points per game by averaging 110.9 during that stretch. The Thunder have controlled the glass with an NBA-best 47.5 rebounds per game. The Thunder average 101.3 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 110.0 points per game during that span.
In their previous meeting this season, Oklahoma City beat Memphis, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Thunder lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Over the last 10 matchups, Oklahoma City held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers five times. Memphis performed this feat one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC, ATS Winner – OKC
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Memphis’s last 25 games.
Memphis is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home.
Memphis is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Memphis’s last 17 games at home.
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City.
Memphis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City averages 103.6 points per game (ranked fifth). However, Memphis has allowed an average of just 95.5 points per game (ranked second).
Oklahoma City scores 100.2 points per away game, ranking 12th in the league. Memphis allows just 94.0 points per home game (ranked second).
Oklahoma City has a solid 25-10 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Memphis is 20-22 when it puts up under 100.
When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow at least 100 points they are 17-23, while the Memphis Grizzlies are 31-2 when they reach the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 99.8, third-best in the NBA. The Thunder also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 104.5 (ranked 11th).
The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking ninth in the league with a FG% of 45.8%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Oklahoma City Thunder are 12-15.
Memphis attempts an average of 15.3 three pointers per game, and Oklahoma City attempts 22.5 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Grizzlies are undefeated at 2-0 while the Thunder have a 10-11 record.
Memphis has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.68 this season (ranked 11th), while Oklahoma City ranks lower at 23rd with an A/TO of 1.45.
The Thunder earn a league-high 47.5 rebounds per game, while the Grizzlies rank 21st with 42.4 per game.
Memphis is ranked 17th in defensive rebounds, while Oklahoma City ranks second in offensive rebounds.
Memphis ranks eighth in forced turnovers with an average rate of 15.3%. Oklahoma City has a 14-15 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
