The Memphis Grizzlies welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to the FedExForum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 28 and can be seen on FxS and FWi.
The Grizzlies enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Magic 108-102 on Monday. Jeff Green was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting. The Bucks, meanwhile, are coming off a 107-100 win against that same Magic squad on Tuesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo played well for Milwaukee, registering 25 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.
Marc Gasol has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Grizzlies. During that stretch, he has averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.0 blocks. Khris Middleton has been hot for the Bucks. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 22.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 three-pointers.
This one might be a mistake-prone game for the Bucks offense, which ranks 26th in the NBA in miscues (turnover percentage of 15.3%). They’re matched up against the disruptive Memphis defense, which causes the most turnovers in the league (16.8%).
The Grizzlies are a five-point favorite against Milwaukee and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 196 points. The Grizzlies have gone 26-20 Straight Up (SU) and 21-24-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 12-7 SU and 10-8-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Grizzlies are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 19.0 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Bucks have 20-27 SU and 24-22-1 ATS records. Against the Western Conference, Milwaukee is 6-12 SU and 8-9-1 ATS. The Bucks convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .462. Milwaukee is the fourth-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 18.5 per game.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their previous head-to-head meeting, Memphis came out on top, bumping its SU record to 8-2 over the Bucks in their last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem, ATS Winner – Mil, O/U – Under
Notes
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis’s last 5 games at home.
Memphis is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home.
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Milwaukee.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis’s last 5 games when playing Milwaukee.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis’s last 9 games when playing at home against Milwaukee.
Memphis is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee.
On average, Milwaukee puts up 98.3 points per game (ranked 24th), while Memphis allows 99.0 points per game (ranked sixth).
Milwaukee scores an average of 96.3 points per away game (ranked 25th), while Memphis gives up 99.4 points per home game (ranked 14th).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Milwaukee Bucks are a superb 14-4. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Memphis Grizzlies have an underachieving record of 8-18.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bucks are just 6-23 this season. Memphis is a tremendous 18-2 when registering triple digits.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 102.4 (ranked 19th), while the Grizzlies rank 16th for their defensive rating of 103.7.
Ranked fourth in the NBA, Milwaukee has an average field goal percentage of 46.2%. Memphis is 9-11 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Memphis Grizzlies and the Milwaukee Bucks both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Memphis is 29th and 24th in the league for EFF% and FG% respectively, while Milwaukee ranks 15th and fourth in these categories.
Memphis makes an average of 21.0 assists per game (ranked 21st). Milwaukee ranks higher in assists with 23.3 (ranked seventh).
Memphis makes an average of 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 22nd). Milwaukee ranks higher in blocks with 5.7 (ranked eighth).
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 15th in offensive rebounding, while the Milwaukee Bucks rank 28th in defensive rebounding.
Memphis averages 8.8 steals per game, ranking sixth in the league. Milwaukee is a poor 8-17 when it gives up at least 8 steals.
