Four years ago, the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies treated NBA fans to a fantastic Western Conference semifinal series. Golden State ended up winning in six games, but it was an intense series featuring a clash of very different playing styles.
Today, this year’s versions of the Warriors and the Grizzlies will square off in Memphis (8pm ET Tuesday). The 2-12 Warriors and 5-8 Grizzlies are completely unrecognizable from their teams in recent years, as both squads are playing almost exclusively young players due to injury (the Warriors) and a full-on rebuild (the Grizzlies).
Golden State will look to stop a seven-game winning streak, while the Grizzlies have won three of their last four games. Will those trends continue or will the Warriors keep things close or even get the upset? Here USAbetting previews this game’s storylines and makes some suggestions on the two main betting lines offered by the top rated United States’ offshore oddsmakers. Read on to get our full Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies predictions for this matchup.
Will Eric Paschall Be Best Rookie in Game?
One thing you should be excited to watch in this game is the battle of rookies. Three guys in this game are currently in the discussion for rookie of the year: Eric Paschall for the Warriors and Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke for the Grizzlies.
Paschall has taken advantage of his surprising opportunity by showing off a versatile game on both ends of the floor en route to 16.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The 2019 second-round pick can finish well inside and also hit the three-point shot, plus he is a stout defender at 6’6” and 255 pounds.
The Grizzlies’ rookie duo of Morant and Clarke has been spectacular. Morant leads the offense with exciting ball-handling and explosive finishing around the rim, while Clarke is an athletic, do-everything role player with elite instincts.
Honestly, both Morant and Clarke have been a bit better than Paschall so far this season on a better team. However, Paschall has exploded for some massive performances, including scoring games of 34, 30 and 25 points. If he does something like that and isn’t matched by the Grizzlies’ rookies, that gives Golden State a nice shot at winning this game.
Can Grizzlies Prioritize Getting Their Three-Point Game Going Again?
The Grizzlies’ offense has improved significantly in the last seven games, allowing the team to be much more competitive. Memphis made just 8 three-pointers per game at a 26.5 percent clip in its first six contests, but it has upped those numbers to 12.7 and 40.1, respectively, in its last seven games.
Can Memphis continue its hot shooting? The Warriors are a poor defensive team with all of their injuries and lack of chemistry, and as a result, opponents are shooting both the highest percentage and highest volume of threes in the league against them.
The Grizzlies won’t likely have too much trouble getting good looks against the Warriors from a variety of places on the floor. However, they absolutely need to focus on offensive sets designed to result in three-pointers for the team’s best shooters early on in the game so they can open up their offense for the rest of the game.
Will Draymond Green Adjust to His New Job of Starting Point Guard?
With Stephen Curry and D’Angelo Russell both injured, the Warriors turned to All-Star forward Draymond Green to start at point guard for them against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Green struggled mightily on offense, totaling seven points, four assists and three turnovers on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
Green has often handled the ball for the Warriors, but he has rarely done it this much or while being the focus of the defense. This time, his ball-handling duties are more than ever, and the opponent will be more intent on making sure he doesn’t carve them up with his passing.
Obviously, Golden State’s veteran star is best used at some other position besides point guard. However, given the Warriors’ situation, he needs to play that role. Can he adjust to the position after a poor performance there in his last game?
Our Preview’s Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies Predictions & Betting Picks Verdict
Golden State just does not have the healthy offensive weapons or the chemistry on defense to expect to play competitive basketball right now. The squad did lose by only eight points on the road to the Pelicans on Sunday but the Pelicans had plenty of injuries of their own.
Memphis is playing solid basketball right now on the strength of their exciting young core. I think an excited Grizzlies home crowd will help their squad to a clear win by double digits. Given those opinions, these are USAbetting’s Golden State Warriors vs Memphis Grizzlies predictions for this game:
- The Grizzlies are favored to win by 6.5 points, which seems to overestimate the Warriors considering their seven-game losing streak and the fact that they are playing on the road. The obvious play here is betting on Memphis -6.5pts @ best odds of -110 with Intertops.
- Two teams with a lot of youth and players eager to prove themselves likely means a fast pace. I like this game’s chances at being quite high-scoring. Take the over222 total points @ -110 with Bovada or BetOnline.
Jared is a lifelong sports fan and writer whose specialist subject is NBA. A 2015 graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Jared has been a sought-after freelance sports writer. In addition to his valuable USA Betting contributions, he has also written for other top media outlets.