The Grizzlies are desperate to avoid the ninth defeat in a row, while the Spurs are looking for the fifth consecutive home victory. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs
Spread: San Antonio Spurs -8 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 195.5 points (-110)
The Grizzlies are hoping to finally snap the negative streak of eight straight defeats
The Memphis Grizzlies are struggling at the moment, and Mike Conley’s absence hit them really hard as they lost all six matches since the point guard suffered an Achilles tendon. David Fizdale’s side is in the 12th position in the Western Conference with the 7-12 record, six wins behind the divisional rivals San Antonio, and nine fewer than the Houston Rockets who are at the top of the Southwest Division. The Grizzlies are without a win at AT&T Center since 2014 as the Spurs won the previous ten H2H duels in Texas.
Memphis’ latest game resulted in a 88:98 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets mostly because of the poor performance in the third quarter, which the Grizzlies lost by 14 points. The Grizzlies struggled below the rims and trailed in rebounds (35-43) and had four assists fewer than the Nets (15-19), while they hit eight triples in opposite to Brooklyn’s 13. Marc Gasol led Memphis with 18 points and five boards, Tyreke Evans scored 18 points with six rebounds, while Chandler Parsons added 12 points and six boards. JaMychal Green contributed with 11 points and seven rebounds, but it is clear that the Grizzlies are quite limited when Conley is not on the floor, as Mario Chalmers is not a perfect solution to step in, so Fizdale’s team will continue to struggle until Mike returns. However, Gasol and Evans are players to watch for the visitors as the tandem’s offensive contribution is vital for Memphis’ chances, while Parsons is facing Kyle Anderson and although Anderson is solid in defense, Parsons should be the third option in the attack for the Grizzlies, so take a close look at him. Without a doubt, the duel between Gasol brothers is the most intriguing one, and Pau will try to stop his younger brother in the paint, but I think Marc will dominate the matchup. Evans, who is playing some of the best basketball in his career will lead the second unit, and I think he could score around 20 points on this one.
David Fizdale is unlucky to be without Mike Conley, but now his backup Mario Chalmers is dealing with an ankle issue and is questionable to feature on Wednesday. If the former Miami Heat point guard is unable to perform here, Andrew Harrison would likely move to the starting lineup, but Tyreke Evans could also spend some time at the PG position. Chandler Parsons played just 12 minutes against Brooklyn as he is struggling with a knee injury, but he should be fine for this tilt and is listed as probable, while Brandan Wright will miss his fifth consecutive game with a right groin injury. The Grizzlies are scoring 98.79 points per contest on average (28th in the NBA), while they are allowing 100.89 points per return (6th in the NBA). Memphis is among the best ten teams in the league (6th) when it comes to defending the floor as they allow 43.85% from the field to the opponents, and they are in the tenth place in defending the perimeter (35.50%).
Place: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 29th, 2017, 8:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSSW, FOX SPORTS SOUTHEAST – MEMPHIS
The Spurs are searching for the fifth win in six games
The San Antonio Spurs are in the solid form of seven victories in the previous ten matches and they recorded four in a row at home, so Gregg Popovich’s side is hoping to continue the positive streak against the struggling Memphis. The Spurs are in the third position in the Western Conference with the 13-7 record, three wins behind the divisional rivals and currently the top team in the West – the Houston Rockets.
The most recent 115:108 victory over the Dallas Mavericks came thanks to the great performance in the second half, in which San Antonio scored 69 points in opposite to Dallas’ 55. The Spurs were good from the field (52.4%) and missed just two free-throws (19-21), while they had five blocks and the Mavs none. LaMarcus Aldridge led San Antonio with a double-double of 33 points (13-19 FG, 7-7 FT) and ten rebounds, along with two steals, and game-high three rejections, while Pau Gasol chipped in with a season-high 25 points (9-14 FG, 3-4 3PT, 4-4 FT), six boards, and four assists. Kyle Anderson posted his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and ten rebounds, with five dishes, and two steals, while Patty Mills scored 12 points and added five assists. Danny Green ended the game with 12 points, five boards, five dimes, and a couple of blocks, while Bryn Forbes scored 11 points. Popovich is delighted to have Tony Parker back on the court as the veteran point guard made his season debut with six points and four assists in 14 minutes on the floor. The Frenchman will likely play on a minute restriction against the Grizzlies, but he is the man to watch for the hosts, alongside Aldridge, and Gasol, who should dominate the paint.
Gregg Popovich will have Rudy Gay back into contention as the forward missed the clash with Atlanta due to a sore right heel, and he is good to go on this one, so he will lead the second unit and could play a significant role off the bench against his former team. Kawhi Leonard is near to returning to the floor, and he could make his season debut in two weeks. The Spurs are scoring 101.65 points per contest on average (24th in the NBA), while they are allowing 98.55 points in return (3rd in the NBA). San Antonio is among the best ten teams in the league (7th) when it comes to rebounding (45.45), while the defense allows 41.50 boards per match to the rivals, which is good enough for the fifth place in the NBA.
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs Trends & Prediction
The Grizzlies are 6-13 against the spread (3-5 away), while they are 5-13-1 on over/under (3-5 away), and the fact is that Memphis is tricky to predict on points, so considering their current form I am going with the hosts on this one.
The Spurs are 10-10 against the spread (8-3 home), while they are 8-12 on over/under (6-5 home), so instead of going with points, I opted to go with San Antonio as I don’t think the Grizzlies can resist them on Wednesday.
My Pick: San Antonio Spurs -8 (-110)
Total: Pass
