The Dallas Mavericks (44-25) and their fifth-ranked offense welcome the Memphis Grizzlies (47-21) and their third-ranked defense. Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on SPSO and FSN-SW.
The Mavericks played well in their last game, topping the Magic 107-102 on Wednesday. Dirk Nowitzki was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 105-95 loss against the Pistons on Tuesday. Jeff Green led the team in scoring with 21 points.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Dallas currently ranks fifth in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Memphis is third in defensive efficiency.
The Grizzlies lead the season series against the Mavericks two games to one, including a decisive 109-90 victory in their last matchup. Chandler Parsons had a standout performance with 19 points, two rebounds, three assists, and three three-pointers in the loss.
The odds for Dallas and Memphis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Mavericks come into this game 44-25 Straight Up (SU) and 30-36-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-8 ATS. Dallas is one of the most disciplined teams in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.8. Dallas is the league’s top scoring team off turnovers with an average of 19.5 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Grizzlies have 47-21 SU and 31-35-2 ATS records. Memphis has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. The Grizzlies convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fourth in the league at .778.
With the Grizzlies’ last win against Dallas, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. The Mavericks lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last 10 matchups, Dallas held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times, with Memphis controlling all three of these areas one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – DAL, ATS Winner – DAL
Notes
Dallas scores 104.9 points per game (ranked third), but Memphis typically gives up only 95.4 points per game (ranked second).
On average, Memphis allows 97.1 points per away game. Dallas averages 106.7 points per home game, ranked third in scoring.
The Dallas Mavericks have a winning record (23-3) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Memphis Grizzlies are 18-19 when they don’t hit triple digits.
Dallas is 21-22 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Grizzlies have a fantastic 29-2 record when they hit the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 99.6, third-best in the NBA. The Mavericks also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 107.1 (ranked fifth).
On average, Dallas has 97.9 possessions per game and scores 1.071 points on each possession. Memphis has both fewer possessions (95.8) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.032).
The Dallas Mavericks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the league with an EFF% of 51.7%. When their opponents have a similar or higher EFF%, the Memphis Grizzlies are 12-11.
On average, Dallas attempts 26.3 three pointers and Memphis attempts 15.1 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Mavericks are 32-15 while the Grizzlies are undefeated at 2-0.
Dallas ranks near the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.83 (ranked fifth). Memphis is ranked 10th, with an A/TO of 1.67.
The Mavericks rank 23rd in rebounds per game with 42.0, while the Grizzlies rank 20th with 42.8 per game.
Dallas is ranked 24th in defensive rebounds, while Memphis ranks 18th in offensive rebounds.
On average, the Mavericks force a turnover rate of 16.0%, ranked third in the NBA. When the Grizzlies turn over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 11-7 record.
