It will be a battle of division foes when the New Orleans Pelicans (4-13) welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (10-8) to the Smoothie King Center. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and will air on FxS, FSN and C+D.
The Pelicans were beaten by the Jazz 101-87 on Saturday. Anthony Davis recorded 36 points and 11 rebounds, earning his eighth double-double of the year. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-84 win over the 76ers on Sunday. Matt Barnes stood out, recording 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Ish Smith has really been playing well as of late for the Pelicans, averaging 16.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 three-pointers over the last five games.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. The Pelicans commit the fourth-fewest miscues in the NBA (turnover percentage of 13.4%), while the gambling defense of New Orleans forces the second-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 18.0%).
The Pelicans are a small underdog, with Memphis favored by two. The Over/Under (O/U) is 196 points. The Pelicans enter the game with records of 4-13 Straight Up (SU) and 6-11 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 4-8 SU and 5-7 ATS against teams from the Western Conference.
On the other side, Memphis has a SU record of 10-8 and an ATS record of 8-10. In Western Conference games, Memphis has gone 7-6 SU and ATS. The Grizzlies are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 384 free throws made ranks third in the NBA.
This is the first meeting of the season for the division rivals. The last time they played Memphis came out on top, but the Pelicans still lead the head-to-head record, 6-4 SU, over the last 10 matchups. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, the Pelicans have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem, ATS Winner – Mem, O/U – Under
Notes
New Orleans is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games.
New Orleans is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans’s last 5 games at home.
New Orleans is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home.
New Orleans is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Memphis.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Orleans’s last 11 games when playing Memphis.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of New Orleans’s last 19 games when playing at home against Memphis.
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis.
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Memphis’s last 19 games when playing on the road against New Orleans.
New Orleans ranks 13th in points per game with 101.5, while Memphis ranks 12th in points allowed with an average of 99.5 given up.
Memphis has allowed an average of 100.0 points per away game this season. New Orleans averages 110.4 points per home game, placing the team second in scoring.
The New Orleans Pelicans are an even 1-1 when they keep their opponents to fewer than 100 points. The Memphis Grizzlies have an abysmal record of 2-7 this season when they don’t reach the century mark.
The New Orleans Pelicans have an underachieving 3-12 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Memphis Grizzlies are 8-1 when they hit triple digits.
The Pelicans have an offensive rating of 101.2 (ranked 19th). The Grizzlies rank 18th for their defensive rating of 102.5.
The New Orleans Pelicans average 100.3 possessions and 1.012 points per possession in games this season. The Memphis Grizzlies average fewer possessions with 96.8, as well as fewer points per possession with .994.
The Memphis Grizzlies average an effective field goal percentage of 45.9% this season. The New Orleans Pelicans have a subpar record of 3-12 when opponents have an EFF% of 45.9% or greater.
New Orleans makes an average of 21.6 assists per game (ranked 13th), while Memphis makes 20.8 assists per game (ranked 18th).
New Orleans makes an average of 4.5 blocks per game (ranked 21st), while Memphis makes 3.8 blocks per game (ranked 28th).
The Pelicans and the Grizzlies are well matched when it comes to rebounding. New Orleans is ranked 28th in offensive rebounding, and Memphis is also ranked 28th in defensive rebounding.
Memphis makes an average of 9.3 steals per game, ranked sixth in the NBA. New Orleans has not won a game this season when it has allowed 9 or more steals (0-4).
