Southwest Division foes will lock horns when the Memphis Grizzlies (26-20) face the Dallas Mavericks (26-21) at the FedExForum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on FSW.
The Grizzlies enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Magic 108-102 in their last matchup. Jeff Green was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-90 win against the Lakers in their last game. Chandler Parsons played well for Dallas, accounting for 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.
Over the last five games, Marc Gasol has taken his game to another level for the Grizzlies, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.0 blocks. Parsons has been hot for the Mavericks. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 3.6 three-pointers.
Ball control could weigh heavily in this showdown. Dallas commits the third-fewest errors in the league (turnover percentage of 13.1%), while Memphis’s disruptive defense forces the most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 16.8%).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Mavericks had the upper hand in the most recent game, a 97-88 win. Dirk Nowitzki had a stellar game with 20 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block, and two three-pointers.
The Grizzlies come into this game 30-20 Straight Up (SU) and 23-24-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 4-8 SU and 5-7 ATS against divisional opponents. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Memphis’s offense, which averages just 12.6 turnovers per game.
As for their opponent, the Mavericks have 28-25 SU and 29-23-1 ATS records. Against fellow division members, Dallas has a 6-4 SU and a 5-5 ATS record. The Mavericks rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking fifth in the league with 448 made (9.0 per game).
Dallas beat Memphis in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Mavericks lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem
Notes
Memphis ranks 25th in points per game with 97.5, while Dallas ranks 14th in points allowed with an average of 101.2 given up.
On average, Memphis puts up 99.6 points per home game (ranked 24th), while Dallas gives up 103.1 points per away game (ranked 15th).
In its last game, Dallas won by a margin of two points. Memphis is 7-2 in games decided by three points or less. Dallas has a 4-6 record in close games.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Dallas Mavericks are a dazzling 18-3. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Memphis Grizzlies have a losing record of 8-18.
The Dallas Mavericks have a poor 8-18 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Memphis Grizzlies are 18-2 when they hit the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 103.7 (ranked 16th), while the Mavericks rank 14th for their offensive rating of 103.3.
Memphis has an average field goal percentage of 43.4%. Dallas is an underachieving 10-18 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank higher for their field goal percentage (24th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (29th). The Dallas Mavericks rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (16th) than they do for their field goal percentage (22nd).
On average, the Dallas Mavericks make 21.7 assists per game and the Memphis Grizzlies make 21.0. Dallas is ranked 15th, while Memphis is ranked 21st.
The Grizzlies average 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 22nd), while the Mavericks rank last in the league with just 3.7.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 15th in offensive rebounding, while the Dallas Mavericks rank sixth in defensive rebounding.
The Memphis Grizzlies earn an average of 8.8 steals per game and are ranked sixth. The Dallas Mavericks have a 14-12 record when they allow at least 8 steals.
