The NBA season rolls on Tuesday evening with six games on tap. The Action Network NBA team is locked in on the Western Conference showdown between the Golden State Warriors and the Grizzlies in Memphis.
Check out their analysis and best bets below for Tuesday night.
NBA Odds & Picks
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Kenny Ducey: Most are excited to see Stephen Curry and Ja Morant light up the scoreboard on Tuesday, but I think we’ll be treated to a low-scoring defensive war between two Western Conference juggernauts.
It’s true that Draymond Green is missing from the Warriors lineup, but Steve Kerr’s group has proven it is capable of holding off the opposition with or without stars on the floor.
In 859 minutes with Green off the floor this year, the Warriors’ Defensive Rating is actually 1.8 points better per 100 possessions than it is in the 1018 minutes with him on. You can look at every player’s on/off splits on this roster, and you’ll find that no matter who is playing, this team’s Defensive Rating is elite.
I’m also particularly interested in the pace with Green off the floor, which drops from 100.74 to 98.79. That was what pushed this bet over the top for me, considering the Grizzlies do like to push the ball up the floor with Morant at the helm. Golden State should do enough here to slow this game down, and with that I love this under.
Memphis has been sensational on the defensive end, ranking fourth in points allowed per 100 possessions in the last two weeks, and Golden State has remained steady, ranking second over that period in time.
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Raheem Palmer: The Golden State Warriors have been downright abysmal offensively recently. Over the past three games, they’re scoring just 95.1 points per 100 possessions, and the biggest issue has been the slump from Steph Curry, who’s averaging just 19.8 points per game on 32.5% shooting since the start of the year.
While the return of Klay Thompson should help this offense, they are missing Draymond Green, who is arguably their most important player given his ability to impact both ends of the floor as defender and as a playmaker. This Grizzlies team has won nine games in a row with a Net Rating of 12.8 behind an Offensive Rating of 117.8 and a Defensive Rating of 105. A big part of that is Ja Morant who has averaged 27.1 points per game on 52.5% shooting during this stretch.
While Thompson is still getting acclimated to basketball after two years, I think the Warriors could have real issues dealing with Morant and Desmond Bane, which is arguably one of the best backcourts in the league. The Grizzlies are just as deep as the Warriors, and without Green in the lineup, the Grizzlies have the edge. I’ll back them at +1.5 and on the moneyLine.
