Southwest Division foes will lock horns when the Memphis Grizzlies (38-26) play the New Orleans Pelicans (24-39) at the FedExForum. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and will air on FxS and FSN.
The Grizzlies are expecting better results after their 116-96 loss to the Celtics on Wednesday. Vince Carter finished with 17 points to lead the team. The Pelicans, meanwhile, are coming off a 122-113 loss at the hands of the Hornets on Wednesday. Anthony Davis played well, posting his 32nd double-double of the season with 40 points and 13 rebounds.
Jrue Holiday has upped his play for the Pelicans, averaging 21.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers over the past five games.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, the turnover story could loom large in this showdown. New Orleans commits the fourth-fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.9%), while Memphis’s disruptive defense causes the most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 16.5%).
The Grizzlies have won all three matchups against the Pelicans this season, including a 110-95 victory in their last matchup. Mike Conley put up 17 points and 10 assists.
The Grizzlies have gone 38-26 Straight Up (SU) and 31-30-3 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 4-10 SU and 7-7 ATS against teams from their own division. The Grizzlies are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 20.0 per game. Memphis has given up very few turnovers with only an average of 12.5 per game.
On the other side, the Pelicans head into the game with records of 27-36 ATS and 24-39 SU. New Orleans has records of 6-5 SU and 5-6 ATS against the Southwest.
The Grizzlies’ win over New Orleans in their last game bumped their SU record to 6-4 over the Pelicans in the last 10 meetings. On the other hand, with a 6-4 record, the Pelicans have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem
Notes
Memphis’ offense and New Orleans’ defense are well matched when it comes to scoring. Memphis scores 0.0 points per game (ranked zeroth). New Orleans allows 0.0 points per game, which is also ranked zeroth.
Memphis and New Orleans are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per home game and points allowed per away game respectively. Memphis scores an average of 0.0 points per home game, while New Orleans allows 0.0 points per away game on average.
The Memphis Grizzlies lost their last game by 20 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the New Orleans Pelicans are 1-6. Memphis is 2-8 in blowouts this season.
New Orleans has an even 9-9 record in contests where it gives up fewer than 100 points. The Grizzlies do not perform well when scoring under 100 points, earning a 10-20 record on the season.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Pelicans are just 15-30 this season. Memphis is a stellar 28-6 when registering triple digits.
New Orleans’ offense and Memphis’ defense both rank 16th this season. New Orleans has an offensive rating of 103.5 and Memphis has a defensive rating of 104.4.
Memphis has an average field goal percentage of 44.5%. New Orleans is a poor 15-25 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, the Memphis Grizzlies attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the New Orleans Pelicans attempt 24.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Memphis is 3-2, while New Orleans has a poor record of 11-18.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 11th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.68. The New Orleans Pelicans have a higher A/TO (1.72), ranking 10th.
Memphis ranks 30th in rebounds per game with 40.7, while New Orleans ranks 23rd with 42.4 per game.
Memphis is ranked 30th in defensive rebounds, while New Orleans ranks 24th in offensive rebounds.
Memphis is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 16.5% (ranked first). New Orleans has an abysmal record of 2-7 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 16.5% or greater.
