The Memphis Grizzlies (11-24) will try to slow down the NBA’s top scoring team when they go head-to-head with the Golden State Warriors (28-8) at ORACLE Arena. The game can be seen on Fox Sports – Southeast at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 30, 2017.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 206 points with Golden State opening as a 13-point favorite.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors ATS Prediction
The last time the Grizzlies played, they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 109-99. Memphis made good use of their 39 trips to the charity stripe, converting on 34 of them (87.2 percent). Los Angeles, meanwhile, was just 21-33 (63.6 percent). With 32 points on 8-for-17 shooting, Tyreke Evans was the top scorer from either team.
The Warriors lost to the Charlotte Hornets in their last outing, 111-100. Getting to the free throw line was one of Charlotte’s biggest strengths. They made 34 trips to the line, while Golden State went just 13 times. Golden State’s Draymond Green recorded eight points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds in the game.
Golden State could have their way on defense as they square off against one of the league’s worst offenses. The Warriors currently rank first in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.485), while Memphis is 26th in effective field goal percentage (0.497).
Memphis comes into the game with records of 11-24 straight up (SU) and 11-22-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to place the total high when the Grizzlies are involved, as 65.7 percent of their games have finished under the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Golden State is 28-8 SU and 17-18 ATS. In opposition of Memphis, Warriors games have a slight tendency to go over the total (51.4 percent).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Evans (22.6 points, 6.4 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals) has been great for the Grizzlies while Green (10.2 points, 9.0 assists, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks) has contributed greatly to the Warriors.
The two teams have split their two matchups this season. The Warriors won the most recent matchup 97-84, covering as 10-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 181 points, which was 23 points below the projected point total of 204 points. The Warriors made 22 of their 25 free throws (88.0 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.507 vs. 0.405). Klay Thompson was the game’s top overall scorer with 29 points.
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Warriors, ATS Winner – Grizzlies, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Memphis is 6-9-1 ATS with 9 unders, 6 overs and 1 push.
Golden State is 9-9 ATS at home with 10 unders and 8 overs.
Golden State is 10-2 when they allow under 100 points, while Memphis is 8-8.
When scoring over 100 points, the Warriors are 25-5 and the Grizzlies are 6-6.
Golden State ranks first in assists per game (30.3) while Memphis ranks 28th (20.5).
The Warriors average 8.5 blocks per game, which ranks first in the NBA. The Grizzlies rank 25th in blocks allowed per game (5.3).
Golden State ranks first in fast break points per game (21.9) while Memphis ranks 24th in fast break points allowed per game (12.9).
The Warriors rank seventh in rebounds per game (45.0) while the Grizzlies rank 29th (39.6).
Memphis ranks seventh in steals allowed per game (7.0) while Golden State ranks 28th (9.0).
The Grizzlies rank 10th in points off turnovers allowed per game (15.3) while the Warriors rank 28th (18.9).
Memphis ranks third in points allowed in the paint per game (40.5) while Golden State ranks 18th (44.9).
The Grizzlies rank 14th in second chance points allowed per game (12.0) while the Warriors rank 25th (13.7).
Golden State ranks 11th in three pointers attempted per game (29.8) while Memphis ranks 12th in three pointers allowed per game (27.5).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Memphis is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Golden State is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Grizzlies’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 0.8, down from 3.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Warriors have scored an average of 103.8 points per game (10.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 101.2 points per game (3.5 below their season average).
Tonight will also see the return of Steph Curry to the starting lineup. The All-Star has been out since December 4.
