Atlanta Appears To Be Trapped Into Play-in Tournament
Taking a quick look at the NBA news will reveal that the Memphis Grizzlies are the hottest team in the NBA.
The Grizzlies have a league-best five-game winning streak going on and have moved within 3.5 games of the Denver Nuggets for the top seed in the Western Conference.
While there isn’t much time left for Memphis to keep climbing, the Grizzlies will likely be happy to end up in the second spot in the conference.
Things aren’t quite as rosy for the Atlanta Hawks.
Things have been contentious between the team and its top star, Trae Young, this season. However, Atlanta has found a way to overcome some of its more difficult moments to move into the top 10 of the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks would like to grab momentum with a win over the Grizzlies.
Having Morant Back Has Provided Lift
Having time off due to a suspension didn’t have too much of a negative impact on Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant.
People looking at NBA lines will see that Morant saying he feels better may translate to good results moving forward once he’s settled back in. Morant has played 43 minutes in the two games since he returned and scored 35 points.
Over the past 10 games, the Grizzlies are 4-5-1 against the spread. During Memphis’ five-game winning streak, the Grizzlies have scored 126 points in four of those five games.
Memphis averages 116.7 points per game and shoots 47.3% from the field and 35% from the 3-point line.
Atlanta Would Like To Build Some Momentum
Making NBA picks on the Atlanta Hawks has been an adventure all season. The Hawks, especially lately, just haven’t found a way to be consistent. Atlanta is 5-5 straight up over its past ten games.
Anyone who has bet on NBA games knows that Young sets the tempo for the franchise. Young averages a double-double, scoring 26.8 points per game and handing out 10.0 assists per contest for Atlanta.
Looking at the past NBA betting data shows the Hawks are 6-4 against the spread over their past ten games. Atlanta has seen the total go over the number in six of their past ten games.
Grizzlies vs Hawks Game Injuries
Grizzlies vs Hawks Head-to-Head
Scores and odds show that Memphis won the previous meetings between these two teams 123-108 at home.
Tyus Jones led the Grizzlies in scoring that night, putting up 22 points. Memphis’ Ja Morant didn’t play in that game. De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 19 points in the loss.
Anyone looking at NBA Finals odds before the season would have told you that the Grizzlies would have a say in how the Western Conference was decided. However, issues with Morant’s behavior and other problems put that into question.
With everything settled with Morant, Memphis seems to be back on the path of being able to find postseason success. The Hawks don’t have a great deal of depth in their lineup, so go with the Grizzlies to deliver!
It seems like a lot has gone wrong for the Atlanta Hawks (14-13) over the last week, but that might have shifted as they travel to face the Memphis Grizzlies (17-9). This is the first of a three-game road trip for the Hawks while it’s the Grizzlies fifth of six straight at home.
The Hawks pulled off a miraculous 123-122 win over the Chicago Bulls in which rookie AJ Griffin tipped in a game-winning alley-oop at the end of overtime to end a string of three straight losses. The Grizzlies beat the Detroit Pistons 114-103 to extend their winning streak to five. They are 7-1 through the last eight games.
Ryan Knuppel has been writing about sports & sports betting topics online for over 15 years. He was a college basketball All-American in the early 2000's and has always had a deep understanding for sports. Ryan was the 2011 Buffalo Wild Wings National "Pickem" Winner which earned him a trip to play flag football with Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders. He was also a 2015 FanDuel.com Playboy Mansion NBA Championships Qualifier in daily fantasy sports. But his true claim to fame is the fact that he has played basketball with and against THE Michael Jordan numerous times in his life. Ryan is excited to be writing and covering sports here and would love to hear from you on social media.